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An Overview of Male Sex Work in Edinburgh and Glasgow: the Male Sex Worker Perspective

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An Overview of Male Sex Work in Edinburgh and Glasgow: the Male Sex Worker Perspective An Overview of Male Sex Work in Edinburgh and Glasgow: The Male Sex Worker Perspective Judith Connell & Graham Hart MRC Social & Public Health Sciences Unit Occasional Paper No.8 June 2003 Medical Research Council Medical Research Health Sciences Unit Social & Public MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge and thank the following individuals and groups without whom this research and subsequent report would have been impossible: • The male sex workers who talked freely and openly about prostitution and related personal experiences. • The outreach workers at Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust (The ROAM Team) and Phace Scotland. Special thanks to Mark Bailie, Grace Cardozo, Tom Lusk, Andrew O’Donnell and David Pryde. 1 MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................... 1 Glossary ........................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction................................................................................................... 6 Background................................................................................................... 6 The Current Study ........................................................................................ 8 2. Research Aims, Objectives, Methodology & Limitations ............................ 10 2.1 Research Aims & Objectives................................................................ 10 2.2 Methodology ......................................................................................... 11 2.3 Recruitment of Male Sex Workers ........................................................ 13 2.4 Research Limitations ............................................................................ 14 2.5 Research Findings................................................................................ 14 3. The Male Sex Worker: Profile, Family Background, Education, Criminal Justice System, Employment & Housing.................................................... 15 3.1 Male Sex Worker Profile ....................................................................... 15 3.2 Early Years: Family Background........................................................... 16 3.3 Local Authority Care ............................................................................. 19 3.4 Education.............................................................................................. 21 3.5. Employment......................................................................................... 24 3.6 Education & Employment: Support, Advice & Service Provision ......... 27 3.7 Contact with the Criminal Justice System............................................. 29 3.8 Housing Status ..................................................................................... 29 3.9 Summary .............................................................................................. 31 4. Male Sex Work: How & Why Sex Work Began........................................... 33 4.1 How Sex Work Began........................................................................... 33 4.2 Couch Testing....................................................................................... 38 4.3 Involvement in Pornographic Films....................................................... 39 4.4 Why Become Involved in Sex Work?.................................................... 39 4.5 Sex Work: Initial Feelings ..................................................................... 42 4.6 Summary .............................................................................................. 42 5.Male Sex Work: Location & Client Contact.................................................. 44 5.1 Independent Male Escorts: Client Contact & Sex Work Location ......... 44 5.2 Escort Agency Workers : Client Contact & Sex Work Location ............ 47 5.3 Rent Boys: Client Contact & Sex Work Location ............................... 48 5.4 Brothel Workers: Client Contact & Sex Work Location ........................ 50 5.5 Summary .............................................................................................. 53 6. Male Sex Work & Personal Safety ............................................................. 54 6.1 Personal Safety: Issues Addressed ...................................................... 54 6.2 Personal Safety in Sex Work: Safety Precautions ................................ 55 6.3 Personal Safety & Type of Sex Work: Sex Work Location & Clients .... 60 6.4 Personal Safety in Sex Work: Incidents................................................ 65 6.5 Compromising Personal Safety ............................................................ 73 6.6 Client Safety: Extortion & Muggings ..................................................... 73 6.7 Police & Safety ..................................................................................... 74 6.8 Personal Safety: Professional Information, Advice & Support .............. 78 6.9 Summary .............................................................................................. 80 2 MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit 7. Male Sex Work & Mental Health .................................................................82 7.1 Impact of Sex Work on Mental Health ...................................................82 7.2 Male Sex Work, Mental Health & Life Events ........................................88 7.3 Mental Health: Support, Advice & Service Provision .............................89 7.4 Summary ...............................................................................................93 8. Male Sex Work & Physical Health...............................................................94 8.1 Background ...........................................................................................94 8.2 Attitudes to Sexual Health & Sex Work .................................................94 8.3 Male Sex Work & Condom Use .............................................................97 8.4 Physical Health: Sexually Transmitted Infections & Infestations..........104 8.5 Sex Work, Personal Safety & Physical Health.....................................105 8.6 Impact of Mental Health on Physical Health ........................................105 8.7 Physical Health: Illicit Drug, Substance & Alcohol Use........................106 8.8 Professional Support, Information, Advice & Service Provision...........108 8.9 Summary .............................................................................................113 9. Leaving Sex Work .....................................................................................115 9.1 Attempts to Leave Sex Work ...............................................................115 9.2 Why Attempts to Leave Sex Work Failed ............................................117 9.3 Leaving Sex Work: A Gradual Process ...............................................123 9.4 Never Leave Sex Work........................................................................124 9.5 Summary .............................................................................................124 10. Male Sex Work Future & Current Service Provision: Needs, Format & Structure .................................................................................................126 10.1 A Summary of Current Needs & Service Provision for Male Sex Workers 126 10.2 Why is Service Provision for MSWs Inadequate?..............................129 10.3 Future Service Provision: Format & Structure ...................................130 10.4 Future Funding for Services a Real Reality? .....................................132 10.5 Summary ...........................................................................................132 11. Conclusion ..............................................................................................134 References....................................................................................................136 3 MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit Glossary Bar Jars Free condoms available in gay bars. C Card A card which allows collection of free condoms from various locations throughout Lothian. Cottage/ Cottaging: Use of men’s public toilets to meet sexual partners, usually for sex on the premises. Couch testing: ‘Testing’ sexual performance to determine suitability for organised sex work. Usually a sexual act which occurs between sex work organiser and potential sex worker. Cruising: The activity of seeking and meeting sexual partners. Escort: A sex worker who works for an agency or independently. Groomed/Grooming: An individual, often a young person or child, ‘trained’ to perform sexual acts. GUM: Genitourinary Medicine/Sexual Health Clinic. JC: Researcher (Judith Connell). MSW: Male sex worker. Out Calls: Visits to client’s home, hotel or other pre-arranged location to provide sexual services. Punter: Client. Renting: Selling sex, usually from the street or other public space. Rent Boy: A male sex worker who works on the street, also referred to as a ‘street worker’. ROAM: Outreach Advice for Men, Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust – Outreach team. STI: Sexually Transmitted Infection. 4 MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit Trawl/ Trawling: The activity of seeking and meeting sexual partners also referred to as ‘cruising’. Undercutting: Charging less for a sexual service than other sex workers charge. 5 MRC Social
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