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Derrick Burts: HIV-Positive Porn Actor Calls for Condom Use

December 8, 2010 / 11:30 AM EST / CBS News

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An adult film actor who tested positive for HIV says he now wishes he had known more about the risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases in the industry and is calling for mandatory condom use in porn films. Derrick Burts, 24, identified himself to the Los Angeles Times as the performer who tested positive at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation in Sherman Oaks in October. He had previously been known as Patient Zeta.

Personal Photo

Burts, who performed in straight films as Cameron Reid and gay films as Derek Chambers, described the panicked call he got from clinic staff on Oct. 9, 2010 about the infection that sent fears through California's adult industry. Clinic staff told him they wanted to perform a follow-up test and begin notifying performers he had worked with since his last negative test result Sept. 3. He was told those performers would be placed on a quarantine list and also would be tested.

Personal Photo

When Burts returned to the clinic Oct. 23 to review the second test results, he said he was told that the clinic had traced his HIV infection to someone he had performed a scene with, someone they described as a "known positive." The clinic would not identity the performer because of patient confidentiality. Burts said he believed he may have contracted the disease during a gay porn shoot in Florida.

Personal Photo

Burts grew up in Whittier and Hemet and graduated from Hemet High School and a hotel management school in Florida, according to the Los Angeles Times. He worked as a hotel manager and cruise ship magician before becoming a performer in the lucrative porn industry. "Making $10,000 or $15,000 for porn isn't worth your life," he told the Times. "Performers need to be educated."

Personal Photo

An adult film actor who tested positive for HIV says he now wishes he had known more about the risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases in the industry and is calling for mandatory condom use in porn films. Derrick Burts, 24, identified himself to the Los Angeles Times as the performer who tested positive at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation in Sherman Oaks in October. He had previously been known as Patient Zeta.

Personal Photo

Burts, who performed in straight films as Cameron Reid and gay films as Derek Chambers, described the panicked call he got from clinic staff on Oct. 9, 2010 about the infection that sent fears through California's adult industry. Clinic staff told him they wanted to perform a follow-up test and begin notifying performers he had worked with since his last negative test result Sept. 3. He was told those performers would be placed on a quarantine list and also would be tested.

Personal Photo

When Burts returned to the clinic Oct. 23 to review the second test results, he said he was told that the clinic had traced his HIV infection to someone he had performed a scene with, someone they described as a "known positive." The clinic would not identity the performer because of patient confidentiality. Burts said he believed he may have contracted the disease during a gay porn shoot in Florida.

Personal Photo

Burts grew up in Whittier and Hemet and graduated from Hemet High School and a hotel management school in Florida, according to the Los Angeles Times. He worked as a hotel manager and cruise ship magician before becoming a performer in the lucrative porn industry. "Making $10,000 or $15,000 for porn isn't worth your life," he told the Times. "Performers need to be educated."

Personal Photo

An adult film actor who tested positive for HIV says he now wishes he had known more about the risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases in the industry and is calling for mandatory condom use in porn films. Derrick Burts, 24, identified himself to the Los Angeles Times as the performer who tested positive at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation in Sherman Oaks in October. He had previously been known as Patient Zeta.

Personal Photo

Burts, who performed in straight films as Cameron Reid and gay films as Derek Chambers, described the panicked call he got from clinic staff on Oct. 9, 2010 about the infection that sent fears through California's adult industry. Clinic staff told him they wanted to perform a follow-up test and begin notifying performers he had worked with since his last negative test result Sept. 3. He was told those performers would be placed on a quarantine list and also would be tested.

Personal Photo

When Burts returned to the clinic Oct. 23 to review the second test results, he said he was told that the clinic had traced his HIV infection to someone he had performed a scene with, someone they described as a "known positive." The clinic would not identity the performer because of patient confidentiality. Burts said he believed he may have contracted the disease during a gay porn shoot in Florida.

Personal Photo

Burts grew up in Whittier and Hemet and graduated from Hemet High School and a hotel management school in Florida, according to the Los Angeles Times. He worked as a hotel manager and cruise ship magician before becoming a performer in the lucrative porn industry. "Making $10,000 or $15,000 for porn isn't worth your life," he told the Times. "Performers need to be educated."

Personal Photo

An adult film actor who tested positive for HIV says he now wishes he had known more about the risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases in the industry and is calling for mandatory condom use in porn films. Derrick Burts, 24, identified himself to the Los Angeles Times as the performer who tested positive at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation in Sherman Oaks in October. He had previously been known as Patient Zeta.

Personal Photo

Burts, who performed in straight films as Cameron Reid and gay films as Derek Chambers, described the panicked call he got from clinic staff on Oct. 9, 2010 about the infection that sent fears through California's adult industry. Clinic staff told him they wanted to perform a follow-up test and begin notifying performers he had worked with since his last negative test result Sept. 3. He was told those performers would be placed on a quarantine list and also would be tested.

Personal Photo

When Burts returned to the clinic Oct. 23 to review the second test results, he said he was told that the clinic had traced his HIV infection to someone he had performed a scene with, someone they described as a "known positive." The clinic would not identity the performer because of patient confidentiality. Burts said he believed he may have contracted the disease during a gay porn shoot in Florida.

Personal Photo

Burts grew up in Whittier and Hemet and graduated from Hemet High School and a hotel management school in Florida, according to the Los Angeles Times. He worked as a hotel manager and cruise ship magician before becoming a performer in the lucrative porn industry. "Making $10,000 or $15,000 for porn isn't worth your life," he told the Times. "Performers need to be educated."

Personal Photo

An adult film actor who tested positive for HIV says he now wishes he had known more about the risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases in the industry and is calling for mandatory condom use in porn films. Derrick Burts, 24, identified himself to the Los Angeles Times as the performer who tested positive at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation in Sherman Oaks in October. He had previously been known as Patient Zeta.

Personal Photo

Burts, who performed in straight films as Cameron Reid and gay films as Derek Chambers, described the panicked call he got from clinic staff on Oct. 9, 2010 about the infection that sent fears through California's adult industry. Clinic staff told him they wanted to perform a follow-up test and begin notifying performers he had worked with since his last negative test result Sept. 3. He was told those performers would be placed on a quarantine list and also would be tested.

Personal Photo

When Burts returned to the clinic Oct. 23 to review the second test results, he said he was told that the clinic had traced his HIV infection to someone he had performed a scene with, someone they described as a "known positive." The clinic would not identity the performer because of patient confidentiality. Burts said he believed he may have contracted the disease during a gay porn shoot in Florida.

Personal Photo

An adult film actor who tested positive for HIV says he now wishes he had known more about the risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases in the industry and is calling for mandatory condom use in porn films. Derrick Burts, 24, identified himself to the Los Angeles Times as the performer who tested positive at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation in Sherman Oaks in October. He had previously been known as Patient Zeta.

Personal Photo

Burts, who performed in straight films as Cameron Reid and gay films as Derek Chambers, described the panicked call he got from clinic staff on Oct. 9, 2010 about the infection that sent fears through California's adult industry. Clinic staff told him they wanted to perform a follow-up test and begin notifying performers he had worked with since his last negative test result Sept. 3. He was told those performers would be placed on a quarantine list and also would be tested.

Personal Photo

When Burts returned to the clinic Oct. 23 to review the second test results, he said he was told that the clinic had traced his HIV infection to someone he had performed a scene with, someone they described as a "known positive." The clinic would not identity the performer because of patient confidentiality. Burts said he believed he may have contracted the disease during a gay porn shoot in Florida.

Personal Photo

An adult film actor who tested positive for HIV says he now wishes he had known more about the risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases in the industry and is calling for mandatory condom use in porn films. Derrick Burts, 24, identified himself to the Los Angeles Times as the performer who tested positive at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation in Sherman Oaks in October. He had previously been known as Patient Zeta.

Personal Photo

Burts, who performed in straight films as Cameron Reid and gay films as Derek Chambers, described the panicked call he got from clinic staff on Oct. 9, 2010 about the infection that sent fears through California's adult industry. Clinic staff told him they wanted to perform a follow-up test and begin notifying performers he had worked with since his last negative test result Sept. 3. He was told those performers would be placed on a quarantine list and also would be tested.

Personal Photo

When Burts returned to the clinic Oct. 23 to review the second test results, he said he was told that the clinic had traced his HIV infection to someone he had performed a scene with, someone they described as a "known positive." The clinic would not identity the performer because of patient confidentiality. Burts said he believed he may have contracted the disease during a gay porn shoot in Florida.

Personal Photo

Burts grew up in Whittier and Hemet and graduated from Hemet High School and a hotel management school in Florida, according to the Los Angeles Times. He worked as a hotel manager and cruise ship magician before becoming a performer in the lucrative porn industry. "Making $10,000 or $15,000 for porn isn't worth your life," he told the Times. "Performers need to be educated."

Personal Photo

An adult film actor who tested positive for HIV says he now wishes he had known more about the risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases in the industry and is calling for mandatory condom use in porn films. Derrick Burts, 24, identified himself to the Los Angeles Times as the performer who tested positive at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation in Sherman Oaks in October. He had previously been known as Patient Zeta.

Personal Photo

Burts, who performed in straight films as Cameron Reid and gay films as Derek Chambers, described the panicked call he got from clinic staff on Oct. 9, 2010 about the infection that sent fears through California's adult industry. Clinic staff told him they wanted to perform a follow-up test and begin notifying performers he had worked with since his last negative test result Sept. 3. He was told those performers would be placed on a quarantine list and also would be tested.

Personal Photo

When Burts returned to the clinic Oct. 23 to review the second test results, he said he was told that the clinic had traced his HIV infection to someone he had performed a scene with, someone they described as a "known positive." The clinic would not identity the performer because of patient confidentiality. Burts said he believed he may have contracted the disease during a gay porn shoot in Florida.

Personal Photo

An adult film actor who tested positive for HIV says he now wishes he had known more about the risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases in the industry and is calling for mandatory condom use in porn films. Derrick Burts, 24, identified himself to the Los Angeles Times as the performer who tested positive at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation in Sherman Oaks in October. He had previously been known as Patient Zeta.