HIV-positive adult film star calls for mandatory condom use, testing services

A 24-year-old porn star who tested positive for HIV last month held a press conference Wednesday morning calling for mandatory condom use and testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the industry, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Derek Burts, a bisexual adult film star, discovered he had HIV in October. Subsequent testing determined that none of his on-screen partners had contracted the disease from him, nor had his girlfriend, the news source said.

It added that Burts held the conference, sponsored by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, to ask the California adult film industry to require condom use and periodic STD testing for all porn actors.

A similar set of circumstances - a porn star testing positive, a request made for increased protection and testing - occurred last month, when actor Darren James called for similar anti-HIV measures, according to CBS News.

Even curable STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea can increase the risk of HIV infection. Individuals concerned about their sexual health may consider purchasing online testing services, which maintain a high level of privacy.

Approximately one in every five HIV-positive Americans does not know they are infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.