Porn Star Killian James Talks Barebacking and PrEP

"The Best Bottoms Make the Best Tops," states New York City resident Killian James' page at Rentboy.com. James was voted Best Bottom 2014 at the Hookies, the International Escort Awards. A former accountant, James is immensely proud of the recognition. He told SFGN that he was doing quite well for himself, and that he might go into real estate after his time in the sex trade was up.

James has also performed in porn. He is now speaking up about the rise in bareback film production, which he says is putting the lives of models at risk. Barebacking - anal sex without condoms - is said to be one of the primary ways to spread HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.

Yet the popularity and production of bareback films has increased.

"I have two friends in the industry who've been diagnosed with HIV this past summer," James told SFGN by telephone.

He pointed out that while HIV has become "manageable," the cost of maintaining one's health after an HIV infection could amount to $30,000 per year, and that many HIV drugs come with highly unpleasant side effects.

"This is all common sense," James said. "When you're too politically correct you can't say things that need to be said."

James said that he would not bareback under any circumstances. In addition to HIV, he pointed out, bareback sex could lead to other sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis. If left untreated, syphilis can cause permanent brain damage.

On the other side of the spectrum there's Porn superstar and producer Michael Lucas, once a staunch advocate for on camera condoms, now produces bareback films. Lucas encourages his models to use PrEP, a once a day regimen of Truvada to prevent HIV.

"The maker of the drug says to use Truvada one way, while the porn producers are saying to use it another way," James said.

When reached by SFGN, Lucas declined to discuss James at any length. He did acknowledge that James had contacted Lucas Entertainment seeking work. "He was not up to our standards so we turned him down," Lucas said.

Lucas sent SFGN a link to an interview he gave to the gay news blog Queerty in which he discussed his recent decision to bareback . "HIV treatments can now reduce viral loads to the point where, as far as we can tell, they pose little to no risk of transmission," the adult auteur told Queerty.

Lucas also said that he was currently in a relationship with an HIV positive man. Though they have barebacked privately, he remains disease free with the help of preventative medications.

Lucas stated that all Lucas Entertainment models must submit to a comprehensive STD test prior to filming and that results must show that they've been clean for at least ten days.

"I personally think that condom free porn is hotter," Lucas said. "Porn is a fantasy, and no one fantasizes about condoms."

Porn's purpose, Lucas said, is simple. "I'm not a messenger, I just make movies. I don't think that men go to porn for life lessons. They just want to get off, and we want to help them. I don't think bareback porn has driven gay men to bareback sex."

Killian James isn't convinced. "People mimic what they see," he said. "It's like me buying a BMW and wanting to drag race at 150 miles per hour."