The advent of online opportunities like “Just for Fans” pages on Twitter, which make oodles of money for sex workers while giving us a glimpse into their actual lives, has brought a refreshing and candid look at their real-life interests - if the sex worker in question is brave enough to reveal them. At 30 years old, he has lived with HIV nearly half his life, done the porn studio route before leaving it because of their “racist storylines,” and stood proudly as an active video performer and private sex worker who is more than happy to educate his clients on the benefits of PrEP or explain to them what his undetectable status means. Oh, and then there are his outspoken beliefs on the reasons for an uptick of meth in the gay Black community, his thoughts on racism among gay men, his volunteer work as “Undetectable Man,” and his support of the Washington DC campaign, The PrEP Squad. My interview with Jacen happened in a Washington, DC, hotel room, which seems about right, and was immediately followed by a quick photo shoot where the young adult performer enthusiastically bared himself for my cell phone camera. Yes, these things wear heavily on a humble blogger, but someone has to do it, folks. Here is our very lively conversation, gently edited for clarity and length. In none of the articles I’ve read about you did it mention your status. But for some reason you aren’t known as “HIV positive porn star Jacen Zhu.” Usually, with an adult film actor who is out about being positive, it’s part of his story and identity. I try to make what I’m talking about a lot louder than the fact I am HIV positive. I was diagnosed at the age of 16, in 2005.Īt 16? How was it you were you tested at that age? Well, you are very loud about a lot of things. She was actually concerned that I had cancer. There was a big cancer scare in the early 2000’s, and I went in with swollen lymph nodes. But she paused and asked if I was having sex, and I was like, “yeah.” I told her I was having sex with guys so she ran the HIV test. Wow, there are doctors of adult gay men don’t even think to test them. Yeah, she had a very Tracee Ellis Ross vibe. How did you respond to the news you were positive? I was so concerned it might be cancer, and I didn’t want to get that.
In my ninth-grade biology class, we had people living with HIV come speak to the class. I did have some worries about living with HIV, and even had an AIDS diagnosis when I was 19. I had been given the option of not starting meds until I needed them, and my t-cells fell below the AIDS marker. I had some blowback from people when I was open about my status, so I held back, but then when I was older, around 25, I just decided to say this is who I am.
People were a lot better about it by then.