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Male Escorts’ and Male Clients’ Sexual Behavior During Their Last Commercial Sexual Encounter: Comparing and Contrasting Findings from Two Online Studies

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Abstract

Much of what is known about commercial sexual encounters between men is based on data gathered from escorts. With few exceptions, studies have not compared male clients’ reports of behavior during commercial sexual encounters with male escorts’. The present study draws from two datasets, a 2012 survey of clients (n = 495) and a 2013 survey of escorts (n = 387)—both used virtually identical measures of sexual behavior during the most recent commercial sexual encounter. For clients and escorts, the majority eschewed having sex without a condom, and kissing and oral sex were among the most common behaviors reported. Using logistic regression, both samples were compared across 15 sexual behaviors, finding significant differences in six—the escort sample had greater odds of reporting their last commercial sexual encounter involved watching the client masturbate, viewing porn, role play (dad/son, dominant/submissive), and having prior sexual experience with their commercial partner. The escort sample had lower odds of reporting that the client watched the escort masturbate, and being told partner’s HIV status. In multivariable modeling, both samples did not significantly differ in reports of condomless anal sex. Male–male commercial sexual encounters appear to be involved in a wide range of sexual behaviors, many of which convey low-to-no risk of HIV transmission.

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Acknowledgments

The Escort Study This study was the result of the collaborations between the researchers, Hook (hook-online.com), and Rentboy.com. It would not have been possible without the input from the Board of Directors at Hook, and the generous free advertising from Rentboy. The Client Study Special thanks to “Daddy,” the moderator of DaddysReviews.com, for his guidance in developing this survey as well as engaging members of the website to participate. For both studies, a special thanks to the participants, Jeffrey T. Parsons, H Jonathon Rendina, and the research team at CHEST for their assistance in developing and programming the online survey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York (CUNY), 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11210, USA

    Christian Grov

  2. Doctoral Program in Public Health, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, USA

    Christian Grov

  3. Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST), New York, USA

    Christian Grov

  4. Department of Social Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Carlos E. Rodríguez-Díaz

  5. Center for Sexual Health Promotion and Health Equity, School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Carlos E. Rodríguez-Díaz & Gerardo G. Jovet-Toledo

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  1. Christian Grov
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  2. Carlos E. Rodríguez-Díaz
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  3. Gerardo G. Jovet-Toledo
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Correspondence to Christian Grov.

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Grov, C., Rodríguez-Díaz, C.E. & Jovet-Toledo, G.G. Male Escorts’ and Male Clients’ Sexual Behavior During Their Last Commercial Sexual Encounter: Comparing and Contrasting Findings from Two Online Studies. Arch Sex Behav 45, 965–973 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0531-3

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