Risk for a Price: Sexual Activity Solicitations in Online Male Sex Worker Profiles

ABSTRACT

The use of social- and sexual networking-based Web sites designed to provide easy and more anonymous access to sexual partners is rising. The popularity of the use of Web sites by male sex workers to promote their services and find clients is also rising. To date, very little inquiry has been devoted to studying the sexual behaviors solicited within online advertisement profiles of male sex workers and men who have sex with men. This study utilized a widely used popular Internet site designed to advertise to clients and gathered demographic, advertised sexual and nonsexual behaviors, pricing, and safety risk category data from profiles within the state of Florida (n = 163). Pearson chi-square analyses indicated that location and several sexual behaviors were significantly related to how often the men reported the degree to which they had safer sex with clients. These findings suggest some male sex workers do not consistently maintain safer-sex behaviors and that some of these men are engaging in sexual activity while under the influence of drugs. Future recommendations support the need for effective public health outreach that emphasizes the importance of safer sexual decision making.