Publications and Research
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-5-2013
Abstract
Few studies have examined male clients who pay for sex with male escorts. In 2012, clients (n = 495) completed an online survey about their most recent hire. Most clients were White/Caucasian (87.7%), HIV negative (89.5%), employed full time (71.1%), single (58.6%), with a mean age of 54. Three-quarters of clients were gay identified, 18% bisexual, and 4% heterosexual. The median rate paid to escorts was $250 per hour with a modal appointment time of 1 to 2 hours (41.6%). Oral sex was common (80% gave, 69% received), 30% reported anal insertive sex, and 34% reported anal receptive sex. In total, few (12%) reported unprotected anal sex. Satisfaction with encounters was high. Receptive unprotected anal intercourse was associated with greater satisfaction in bivariate analyses but not in multivariable analyses. In a multivariable model, having receptive anal sex (whether protected or not) and rating the financial cost of the encounter as "worth it" were significantly associated with greater satisfaction. This study contributes to a scarce literature regarding clients of male sex workers and, in particular, provides information on the characteristics of men hiring men for sexual services, behavioral event-level data about their encounters, and analysis of factors directly associated with client satisfaction. Most research on sex work has occurred with women engaged in the profession and not with men (Cesario & Chancer, 2009; Koken, Bimbi, & Parsons, 2010; Vanwesenbeeck, 2013). The number and scope of published studies on male sex work, although international in nature, has yet to fully address the complex interpersonal situations that occur when men are paid for sex by other men. Much of the available research has retained a focus on street-based sex workers (Bimbi, 2007; Weitzer, 2005) and HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) risks (Patterson et al., 2009; Patterson et al., 2012; Scott, 2003; Vanwesenbeeck, 2013) presented by commercial sex encounters. In contrast, studies exploring psychological aspects of the commercial sex encounter between clients and indoor sex workers (such as male escorts working independently or through an agency) or those that account for the wider scope of sexual and nonsexual activities occurring between clients and escorts are less common (Walby, 2012). If the literature on male sex workers (MSWs) appears rather sparse, fewer studies still have examined their clients. With few exceptions (Goldenberg et al., 2010; Milrod & Weitzer, 2012; Patterson et al., 2009; Patterson et al., 2012), even literature on female sex workers (FSWs) has rarely focused on the client (Vanwesenbeeck, 2001, 2013).
Comments
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Sex Research on 2014, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499.2013.789821