After trying to do some further research on Derrick Burts (aka Cameron Reid and Derek Chambers his porn aliases), I was surprised how hard it was to find pictures of him or more information on the net. I did find a video on youtube where he talks about being a bottom on a gay porn shoot. Comments for that video were disabled. I wanted to know more than what was available at that time. On further investigation, I found out about his press conference. I decided to go because I thought the story was so important. Side note, I was invited to cover an event with Josyln James this past Friday but was unable to attend because I was at another event where Stevie Wonder and Jon B. were in attendance. But I wanted a chance to ask Josyln James a porn actress as well as widely known for being one of Tiger Wood’s mistresses who did not use condoms with the golf star, if she was worried about sexually transmitted diseases. I wanted a real conversation. With Derrick Burts speaking at the AIDS Health Care Foundation press conference, I was touched by his honesty and his genuine sadness.
Imagine being 24 years old and finding out you have HIV. Many people easily judge and say well what do you expect? If you work in the porn industry and you do both straight and gay porn you are bound to wind up with something. Burts did. He admits to getting chlamydia, gonorrhea, and herpes during his short career as a porn actor before testing positive in October 2010 for HIV.
Derrick Burts talked about the slippery slope of wanting more money. The lure of the fast buck led him to an ad on Craigslist for a solo act masturbation video. From there, Derrick found additional contacts that took him on a path that he is on now. From solo acts, to straight porn and when he realized the money was not as high as he wanted him ventured into gay which pays more.
Derrick also broke his silence in regard to the Porn Industry’s financed AIM Clinic. He alleges that they told him to keep working when he contracted chlamydia, gonorrhea, and herpes because most performers at one time or another are infected with STDs. We will assume they also told him to get treatment. Although AIM tested Burts, he alleges that they told him when he was HIV infected to keep his mouth shut. Derrick Burts also said he waited for 6 weeks for follow up care. It seems clear that AIM’s job is to do testing and fulfill the minimum requirements of a clinic. There main objective is to give the appearance that the Porn Industry is safe and that they do HIV testing. Follow up care is not their forte.
So easy to judge someone in his situation but I can’t help but think how many of the people who would never do porn, WATCH IT! We feed the need for more films and more exploitation. Sometimes I wonder what kind of people do certain acts and then I have to check myself and say, “why are you watching it?” I don’t have any answers. I just hope that we all learn something from Derrick Burts story. Maybe we will have second thoughts about having unsafe sex without a condom, maybe we will get tested, maybe we will make better choices, maybe someone will decide that getting into the porn business is not a wise decision if you don’t know the risks, maybe we will all take more responsibility for our sexual actions. Maybe we will think before we go after that fast buck or fuck? There is a price to be paid for our collective and individual actions. The price of infection is too high for the risk. In a world where nothing seems to be off limits in the porn industry and jaw dropping unsafe sex practices are the norm, how many people have to be infected with STDs and HIV before we take a closer look at ourselves? The questions are unsettling. Is mandatory condom use and dental dams needed in all porn? Is condom usage in porn unsexy which in turns influences the general population? What is the number of porn stars with STDs affecting the general population? Is mandatory usage of condoms/dental dams in Porn against individual rights and/or freedom of expression? These are questions to think about. It comes down to the fact that each individual is responsible for her/his safety. In other words, don’t let anyone trick, manipulate or goad you into having unsafe sex or sex in general if you don’t want it. You are responsible not the government, not your partner but YOU! Unfortunately it doesn’t matter if you are young or old, naive or not, you are the one that will be living with the consequences of your actions. So think before you spread your legs or your butt cheeks. *Update a spokesperson from AIM has refuted Derrick Burts claim that the clinic staff didn’t help him with follow up treatment.
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