scholarly journals The Chemsex ‘Consent Ladder’ in Male Sex Work: Perspectives of Health Providers on Derailment and Empowerment

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 69
Author(s):  
Belinda Brooks-Gordon ◽  
Euan Ebbitt
Keyword(s):  
Sex Work ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Male Sex Work ◽  
Male Sex ◽  
Sex With Men

Sexualized substance use or ‘chemsex’ is a key element in the syndemic of violence and infection in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Chemsex is more prolific amongst men who have sex with men but is also associated with high risk behaviours that can negatively impact on health and wellbeing in heterosexual, bisexual men and women, and in homosexual women too. This qualitative study investigated perceptions and experiences of chemsex, motivations, cisgender male sex work, consent, economic exploitation, and ways to address and reduce harms. We conducted semi-structured interviews with health care providers and their clients—including sex workers and their customers (n = 14) between the ages of 28 and 46 years following a purposive sampling strategy. Interview topics included perceptions and experiences of chemsex use, reasons for drug use and chemsex, and proposals to address harms associated with chemsex in the UK. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and analysed using Grounded Theory. The findings revealed a stepwise process of chemsex use in a ‘ladder of consent’, whereby the process starts with willing participation that is both highly pleasurable and controllable. Sexual polydrug activity often descended in rungs so that lines of consent became blurred, and even broken, resulting in physical detriment and financial exploitation. Strategies for elevation back up the consent ladder also emerged. The findings clarify the conditions of willing participation, the stepwise relationship to exploitation, and the support strategies that help re-empower individuals whose lives get taken over by chemsex, including peer-to-peer support, poly-centres, and smartphone apps to climb back up the consent ladder to improve the health, safety, and social rights of sex workers.

scholarly journals Drifters, Party Boys and Incumbents: The Life Patterns of Male Street-based Sex Workers

Sociology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Ellison
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sex Work ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Rational Decision ◽  
Life Patterns ◽  
Rational Decision Making ◽  
Male Prostitution ◽  
Male Sex Work ◽  
Male Sex ◽  
Working Practices

This article is based on a qualitative study of male street-based prostitution. It suggests that the street-based sector is more varied, with sellers adopting a wider range of working practices, than is commonly acknowledged in the literature on male prostitution. Drawing on data from Manchester, England, I identify a number of ‘life patterns’ among male street sellers that reflect varied working practices based on issues around rational decision-making and the sex worker’s relationship to place and environment. The discussion has implications for urban policies around street-based sex work but also for a more general understanding of male sex work in an international and comparative perspective.

scholarly journals Male sex work and HIV risk among young heroin users in Hanoi, Vietnam

Sexual Health ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Clatts ◽  
Le M. Giang ◽  
Lloyd A. Goldsamt ◽  
Huso Yi
Keyword(s):  
Sex Work ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Sex Partners ◽  
Sexual Encounter ◽  
Anal Sex ◽  
Male Sex Workers ◽  
Heroin Users ◽  
Male Sex Work ◽  
Receptive Anal Sex ◽  
Male Sex

The present study describes complex drug and sexual risk in a group of male sex workers (n = 79) who were recruited in the context of a larger study of young heroin users in Hanoi, Vietnam (n = 1270). Male sex workers were significantly more likely than male non-sex workers to be migrants (P < 0.001) and to have unstable housing (P < 0.001), to have lifetime exposure to marijuana (P < 0.001), 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) (P < 0.01), amphetamines (P < 0.05), cocaine (P < 0.01) and morphine (P < 0.001). Male sex workers are more likely to currently use MDMA (P < 0.05), amphetamines (P < 0.001), morphine (P < 0.05) and to ‘smoke’ as their most frequent mode of heroin administration (P < 0.01). Male sex workers are more likely to have both male and female concurrent sex partners (P < 0.001), to have a history of sexual victimisation (P < 0.001), to have had more than three different sex partners in the past 30 days (P < 0.001), and to have had partners who injected drugs before sex (P < 0.001) or who used drugs during sex (P < 0.01). In their last sexual encounter with a client partner, approximately one-third (31.1%) reported having had receptive anal sex. In nearly three-quarters of these exchanges (71.4%), no condom was used. Similarly, in their last sexual encounter with a client partner, 42.2% reported having had insertive anal sex and in nearly half (47.4%) of these encounters no condom was used. Consistent with recent data from elsewhere in the region, there is an urgent need for additional research on male sex work in South-east Asia in order to properly situate behavioural interventions for male sex workers in this region.

scholarly journals Developing HIV Assisted Partner Notification Services Tailored to Mexican Key Populations: A Qualitative Approach

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heleen Vermandere ◽  
Santiago Aguilera-Mijares ◽  
Liliane Martínez-Vargas ◽  
M. Arantxa Colchero ◽  
Sergio Bautista-Arredondo
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Partner Notification ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Hiv Diagnosis ◽  
Hiv Awareness ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Background. Assisted partner notification services (APNS) may increase HIV testing, early diagnosis, and treatment, but they are not formally implemented in Mexico, where the HIV epidemic is concentrated in men who have sex with men (MSM) and transwomen (TW).Methods. We conducted semi-structured interviews to explore partner notification with MSM, TW and health care providers to identify the essential elements to include in the design and implementation of APNS directed to MSM and TW in Mexico City. Afterwards, brainstorm sessions were carried out to produce strategies for implementing APNS.Results. Most participants reported experiences with informal partner notification, but not with APNS. Only one health care provider indicated assisting notification systematically. The main barriers for notifying mentioned by both MSM and TW included fear of (violent) reactions, discrimination and lacking contact information of casual partners. Participants thought it was easier notifying a formal partner, conditional of being well informed about HIV. Given current stigma and lack of awareness, it was suggested that APNS should be preceded by HIV awareness efforts, and be provided by counsellors or peers to mitigate potential rejection or violent reactions. Conclusions. While APNS are not formally implemented in Mexico, all participants supported the service, indicating that APNS can enhance early HIV diagnosis in Mexico. Strategies to implement such services need to be flexible addressing the individual needs of participants, guaranteeing the safety of more vulnerable participants.

scholarly journals Developing HIV Assisted Partner Notification Services Tailored to Mexican Key Populations: A Qualitative Approach

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heleen Vermandere ◽  
Santiago Aguilera-Mijares ◽  
Liliane Martínez-Vargas ◽  
M. Arantxa Colchero ◽  
Sergio Bautista-Arredondo
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Partner Notification ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Hiv Diagnosis ◽  
Hiv Awareness ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Background. Assisted partner notification services (APNS) may increase HIV testing, early diagnosis, and treatment, but they are not formally implemented in Mexico, where the HIV epidemic is concentrated in men who have sex with men (MSM) and transwomen (TW). We conducted semi-structured interviews to explore partner notification with MSM, TW and health care providers to identify the essential elements to include in the design and implementation of APNS directed to MSM and TW in Mexico City. Afterwards, brainstorm sessions were carried out to produce strategies for implementing APNS. Results. Most participants reported experiences with informal partner notification, but not with APNS. Only one health care provider indicated assisting notification systematically. The main barriers for notifying mentioned by both MSM and TW included fear of (violent) reactions, discrimination and lacking contact information of casual partners. Participants thought it was easier notifying a formal partner, conditional of being well informed about HIV. Given current stigma and lack of awareness, it was suggested that APNS should be preceded by HIV awareness efforts, and be provided by counsellors or peers to mitigate potential rejection or violent reactions. Conclusions. While APNS are not formally implemented in Mexico, all participants supported the service, indicating that APNS can enhance early HIV diagnosis in Mexico. Strategies to implement such services need to be flexible addressing the individual needs of participants, guaranteeing the safety of more vulnerable participants.

scholarly journals A different kind of risky business: Men who manage men in the sex industry

Sexualities ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136346072110263
Author(s):  
Tuulia Law
Keyword(s):  
Sex Work ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Sex Industry ◽  
Male Sex Workers ◽  
Perceptions Of Risk ◽  
Male Sex Work ◽  
Managerial Strategies ◽  
Male Sex ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Work Management

Drawing from qualitative interview data, this article examines men who manage men in the sex industry. A gendered lens reveals that male sex work management engages with sexual and gender scripts in ways that are quite distinct from female sex work. These third parties assume that male sex workers can defend their own security but notably also worry about male workers victimizing them, even as they opportunistically deploy hegemonic masculinity in their business and security practices. The article highlights and reflects on how these framings shape managerial strategies, perceptions of risk and the law, and experiences of stigma.

scholarly journals Investigating the effects of COVID-19 on global male sex work populations: a longitudinal study of digital data

2020 ◽  
pp. sextrans-2020-054550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denton Callander ◽  
Étienne Meunier ◽  
Ryan DeVeau ◽  
Christian Grov ◽  
Basil Donovan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Sex Work ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Sex Industry ◽  
Male Sex Workers ◽  
Male Sex Work ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
Male Sex ◽  
Risk Reduction Strategies

ObjectivesRecommendations of ‘social distancing’ and home quarantines to combat the global COVID-19 pandemic have implications for sex and intimacy, including sex work. This study examined the effects of COVID-19 on male sex work globally and investigated how men who sold sex responded to and engaged with the virus in the context of work.MethodsThis study made use of an existing database of deidentified data extracted from the online profiles maintained by male sex workers on a large, international website. Website engagement metrics were calculated for the periods before (September to December 2019) and during COVID-19 (January to May 2020); Poisson regression analyses were used to assess changes over time before and after, while a content analysis was undertaken to identify modes of engagement with the virus.ResultsData were collected from 78 399 profiles representing 19 388 individuals. In the ‘before’ period, the number of active profiles was stable (inter-rate ratio (IRR)=1.01, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.01, p=0.339) but during COVID-19 decreased by 26.3% (IRR=0.90, 95% CI 0.89 to 0.91, p<0.001). Newly created profiles also decreased during COVID-19 (59.4%; IRR=0.71, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.74, p<0.001) after a period of stability. In total, 211 unique profiles explicitly referenced COVID-19; 185 (85.8%) evoked risk reduction strategies, including discontinuation of in-person services (41.2%), pivoting to virtual services (38.9%), COVID-19 status disclosure (20.9%), enhanced sanitary and screening requirements (12.3%) and restricted travel (5.2%). Some profiles, however, seemed to downplay the seriousness of COVID-19 or resist protective measures (14.7%).ConclusionsThese findings support the contention that COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the sex industry; globally, male sex workers may be facing considerable economic strain. Targeted education and outreach are needed to support male sex workers grappling with COVID-19, including around the most effective risk reduction strategies. Those involved with the sex industry must have access to state-sponsored COVID-19 financial and other aid programmes to support individual and public health.

The Economics of Male Sex Work

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevon D. Logan
Keyword(s):  
Sex Work ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Male Sex Workers ◽  
Male Prostitution ◽  
Male Clients ◽  
Male Sex Work ◽  
Ex Post ◽  
Male Sex ◽  
Basic Features

This chapter examines the economics of male prostitution as practiced in the United States. It begins with an overview of some basic features and organization of the online market for male sex work. It then considers the unique social circumstances that occur in male prostitution and how they inform the economic analysis. It also reviews two empirical economic issues that have been analyzed in the literature: the role of asymmetric information and the geographic distribution of male-sex-worker services. The results show that male sex workers typically attempt to signal their reliability to potential male customers by providing detailed information about their identity ex ante so as to credibly implicate themselves if there is any ex post negative outcome. Furthermore, male sex workers appear to have a nontrivial number of heterosexually identified male clients, which can help explain why credible signals by male sex workers are so important in this market.

scholarly journals Multilayered Stigma and Vulnerabilities for HIV Infection and Transmission: A Qualitative Study on Male Sex Workers in Zimbabwe

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 155798831882388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen Yuk-ha Tsang ◽  
Shan Qiao ◽  
Jeffrey S. Wilkinson ◽  
Annis Lai-chu Fung ◽  
Freddy Lipeleke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Male Sex Workers ◽  
Prevention And Treatment ◽  
Male Sex

Male sex workers are marginalized in most societies due to intersectional stigma between prostitution and homosexuality. In Zimbabwe, a proliferation of male sex workers in major cities such as Harare and Bulawayo has been reported. However, there is a shortage of studies that explore their lives. The current qualitative study aims to describe the practices of sex work, life contexts, and HIV risks and vulnerabilities based on in-depth interviews among 15 male sex workers in Bulawayo. Our studies suggest that the stigma against male sex workers comes from diverse sectors including culture (“homosexuality is un-African, introduced by the Whites”), religion (“same sex is a sin before the God”), law and police (“homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe. Engaging in it can send one to prison”), media (“the media is hostile to sex workers particularly men as we are regarded as abnormal and unclean”), and their family (“should they get to know about it, they will disown me”). In this context, male sex workers were excluded from national HIV prevention and treatment programs. They had limited knowledge and many misconceptions about HIV. The stigma and discrimination from health-care providers also discouraged them from health seeking or HIV testing. The non-disclosure to female partners of convenience and sexual relations further increased their vulnerabilities to HIV infection and transmission. Current efforts to address the HIV epidemic should pay attention to male sex workers and tackle the intersecting stigma issues. male sex workers need support and tailored HIV prevention and treatment services to improve their HIV prevention practices, health, and well-being.

scholarly journals Masculinities, vulnerability and negotiated identity: Understanding the reporting behaviours of men who experience violence or otherwise harmful behaviour, within a sex work context

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jordan L. Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Sex Work ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Work Context ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Male Sex Workers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Male Sex

Context The focus of sex work related discussions most commonly falls on female providers of sexual services, and male purchasers. As a result, the often victim-oriented policy response in England and Wales falls short of truly addressing the needs of men who are involved in the sale of sex, with there being limited support available for them and a systemic approach which does not fully recognise the potential for men to face harm within this context. Methods The aim of this study is to explore experiences of and reactions to violence, and otherwise harmful behaviours, faced by men in the context of their sex working, by understanding the lived realities of a sample of men who engage in this type of work. The study takes a phased approach which combines an initial informative quantitative survey, with three subsequent phases of semi-structured interviews with male sex workers, sex work-focused practitioners and police officers. The method is guided by feminist research principles which suggest that reality is situated within those with lived experience, and also by an element of co-creation which has grounded this study within the perspectives of male sex workers from its conception. Findings The findings of this research suggest that all of the men involved in the study had faced at least one of the violent or otherwise harmful behaviours outlined, though reporting of these behaviours was not at all common. Discussions with the male sex working participants, practitioners and the police highlighted the issues related to the structural influences of authority, such as the police, and the social environment, and the internalisation of these wider factors, which create barriers to reporting for groups such as male sex workers and others who face similar social marginalisation. Conclusions This study challenges existing gendered understandings of violence and otherwise harmful behaviour within a sex work context, by highlighting the harmful experiences of men. By exploring these experiences and the reporting behaviours of those involved, the study also proposes a new framework for understanding barriers to reporting, which suggests that these are formed through the influences of formal and informal measures of social control, and the internalisation of these outside influences by the individual. By better understanding the experiences of men, and the barriers to their reporting, this study attempts to nuance a gendered discussion. Within, I propose that in order to better support male sex workers, responses must begin by appreciating the heterogeneity of those involved in sex work and the influence of their individual circumstances and the social environment on their willingness to seek support.

scholarly journals When the law is silent: stigma and challenges faced by male sex workers in Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-317
Author(s):  
Mana Takahashi
Keyword(s):  
Sex Work ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Social Group ◽  
Commercial Sex ◽  
Male Sex Workers ◽  
Male Sex Work ◽  
Control Regulation ◽  
Male Sex ◽  
The Law ◽  
Japanese Law

AbstractThis study considers how invisibility under the law can lead to stigmatisation. It examines how legal silence affects the stigmatisation process and the identity of male sex workers in Japan. Since male sex work is currently not recognised under Japanese law, male sex workers are not subject to control, regulation, punishment or protection. However, the number of male sex workers in Japan is increasing. Many studies have noted that male sex workers may experience double stigmatisation – referring to the stigma associated with homosexuality and the stigma associated with commercial sex. Male sex workers in Japan, however, may face an additional stigma caused by the fact that the law essentially ignores their existence. This paper draws on fieldwork interviews to show how the silence of the law can exacerbate the marginalisation and disempowerment of a vulnerable social group.

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