Purchase Of Sexual Services Research Articles

A cross-sectional survey exploring HIV and HCV prevalence among men who purchase sex in Dnipro, Ukraine

BackgroundHIV programming in Ukraine largely targets “key population” groups. Men who purchase sex are not directly reached. The aim of our study was to explore the prevalence of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) among men who purchase sex from female sex workers.MethodsFollowing geographic mapping and population size estimation at each “hotspot”, we conducted a cross-sectional bio-behavioural survey with men who purchase sex between September 2017 and March 2018 in Dnipro, Ukraine. Eligibility criteria included purchasing sex services at a “hotspot” and being ≥ 18 years. Participants completed a structured questionnaire, followed by HIV/HCV rapid testing and a dried blood spot (DBS) sample collection for confirmatory serology.ResultsThe study enrolled 370 participants. The median age was 32 (interquartile range [IQR] = 27–38) and the median age of first purchase of sexual services was 22 (IQR = 19–27). Over half (56%) of participants reported ever testing for HIV; four participants (2%, N = 206) reported having tested positive for HIV, with three out of the four reporting being on ART. Forty percent of participants had ever tested for HCV, with three (2%, N = 142) having ever tested positive for HCV. In DBS testing, nine participants (2.4%) tested positive for HIV and 24 (6.5%) tested positive for ever having an HCV infection.ConclusionPrevalence of HIV and HCV in this population was high. Given high rates of study enrolment and testing, efforts should be made to reach men who purchase sex with expanded STBBI programming.

Prevention of modern slavery within sex work: Study protocol of a mixed methods project looking at the role of adult services websites.

The core challenge this study addressed is that Adult Services Websites (ASWs) are an extensive and pervasive feature of the digital world that facilitate the advertising, negotiation and purchase of sexual services yet are also considered to be harbourers of sexual exploitation, modern slavery and human trafficking (MSHT) Giommoni L. et al. 2021, Milivojevic S. et al. 2020, Sanders, T., et al. 2018. Whilst awareness of cases of internet facilitated MSHT has entered the public and policy domain, little is known about the role and responsibilities of ASWs in this domain. Collaboratively with our partners, the findings from this study will first contribute to understanding how ASWs facilitate exploitation and second how they can become part of the prevention mechanisms and reporters of crimes. We present the design of our mixed methods study, underpinned by a peer Action Learning Set (ALS) approach. By working closely with ten survivors of sexual exploitation from 7 countries, the peer group have informed the study through participation in the advisory group, instrument design, implementation, analysis and dissemination. A training and support needs analysis prior to engagement in the research project ascertained what skills people would bring, what they would need for further personal and career development and if there were any additional requirements to enable participation. We provided capacity building through a bespoke training package over the project's lifetime. Conducting a peer-researcher ALS project informs the research topic by both empowering survivors of sexual exploitation, whilst engaging with their expertise and lived experience to shape the methods and focus. The summative evaluation of our methods informs wider peer research methodologies, little utilised in the field of MSHT research. Thus, this research produces evidence which acknowledges survivors as experts with value towards social science research.

How Sex Workers Understand Their Experiences of Working in the Republic of Ireland

IntroductionThis study seeks to explore the ways in which sex workers understand their experiences of working under sex work legislation in the Republic of Ireland, including laws that criminalise the purchase of sexual services. Participants reflected on their experiences of working in Ireland both and after the passing of [the] Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017. In 2017, the Republic of Ireland criminalised the purchase of sexual services and increased fines and sentences for brothel keeping.MethodIn 2020, semi-structured interviews lasting 60 to 90 min were conducted with 6 sex workers from diverse backgrounds, ages 24–44, actively working in Ireland since 2017. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcriptions were used to conduct an interpretative phenomenological analysis.ResultsSeven themes arose from the data: psychological wellbeing, relationships with law enforcement, relationships with friends and family, the effects of client criminalisation laws on clients, benefits of sex work community, stress related to precarious accommodation and experiences of both discrimination and perceived discrimination.ConclusionChanges to sex work legislation appear to have failed in their mission to improve life for sex workers in Ireland. Other options such as decriminalisation should be considered.

Defining and Regulating Prostitution from the Polish and European Perspective

Prostitution has not received the academic interest it deserves in Poland. On the one hand the issue of eroticism and human sexuality is a relatively strong cultural taboo, on the other research on prostitution raises numerous methodological diffi culties. The purpose of this article is to explore two issues. The fi rst is go back to unsatisfactory attempts to defi ne the commercial sex. The second is to look at legal regulations regarding this issue in Poland and several European countries. At the level of sociological reflection, prostitution can be defi ned by referring to the elements of a specifi c interaction between two people, one of whom offers paid sex and the other of whom is interested in using such a service. Prostitution is defi ned completely differently in law and in several European countries, for example in Great Britain and Austria there are interesting legal provisions. But I propose my own definition of prostitution or sex work in which the eight elements are combined. As far as legal regulations of prostitution are concern four categories of countries can be mentioned in Europe. From these in which the provision and purchase of sexual services is prohibited, to those where prostitution is legal and the professional status of the person engaging in it is regulated. There is also variety of perceptions of prostitution as a social phenomenon and different typologies of policies implemented by individual countries. But it appears that further studies on sex business and prostitution as a social phenomenon are needed.

When the law meets feminisms: The shortcomings of contemporary prostitution policies across the European Union

Prostitution is a multi-faceted reality at the intersection of divergent meanings. Some feminism narratives have led to its polarised interpretation, conflating prostitution with a practice of gender oppression or an instance of personal autonomy. Framed according to legal principles, such binary has been transposed into three legal frameworks that are currently in force across the European Union; namely, neo-prohibitionism (where the purchase of sexual services is criminalised), abolitionism (where all the ancillary activities to prostitution are criminally prosecuted) and neo-regulamentarism (where prostitution is decriminalised and regulated by law). Against this background, this article will attempt to understand to what extent the legal reasonings behind these frameworks are divergent and whether the legal solutions in force are suitable within the multi-faceted realm of prostitution. Its final aim will be to posit an alternative set of legal principles able to address the contemporary shortcomings and form the basis for more inclusive regulation. By doing so, it will also seek to integrate the legal discourse with the feminist literature that the national legislators have traditionally disregarded, as well as the claims shared by sex workers' organisations in fighting for their legal protection at the international and European level.

Extraterritorial Criminalisation and Non-intervention: Sweden’s Criminal Measures against the Purchase of Sex Abroad

This article considers the limits of extraterritorial criminalisation under international law in the context of a recent legislative proposal by the government of Sweden to impose criminal measures against the purchase of sexual services abroad. The article first presents the proposal and then a specific legal objection raised against it, namely that allowing Swedish courts to try purchases committed abroad irrespective of local law is inconsistent with the principle of non-intervention under international law. The substance of this objection is discussed against the background of general descriptions of the concepts of jurisdiction and non-intervention under international law. It is concluded that the meaning of the principle of non-intervention may have been overstated.

A Survey on the Sexual Behavior of Elderly People in South Korea

Objective: This study aimed to improve the sexual health of Korean elderly people and to prepare adequate education programs by investigating their sexual behavior. Design and Method: From September to November 2013, we surveyed elderly people in senior welfare centers or public parks. Participants filled out a selfadministered questionnaire, which elicited information concerning: demographic information, information on their sexual behavior, purchase of sexual services, experience of STIs, and experience of sex education. Results: A total of 403 men participated in the study. The number of sexual partners was higher in blue-collar workers than in men with other occupations, in men with a spouse than those without one. Of the respondents, 15.9% had had a sexual experience with a prostitute (client group). The proportion of people with a spouse, of a lower age, of middle socioeconomic status, and blue-collar workers was higher in the client group. The prevalence of STIs based on this study was 6.0% and 83% of the people with STIs sought medical treatment. Of the STIs, 57.3% were transmitted from a casual sex partner, the prevalence of which was higher in the client group than in the non-client group (18.8% vs. 3.5%). Only 8% of the respondents had received sex education in the past year. The most desired education topics were symptoms of STIs (37.7%), followed by sexual conflicts after middle age (33.7%), and treatment of erectile dysfunction (22.3%). Conclusions: Elderly people are a new group vulnerable to STIs. To control these infections, powerful policies containing sex education and medical services will be needed.

The Same Policy, But Different Ideas: The Ideational Underpinnings of the Norwegian and Swedish Bans on the Purchase of Sexual Services

Drawing upon the broad ideational approach, this article examines why Sweden and Norway prohibited the purchase of sexual services. Despite similar policies, pro-ban actors in these neighboring countries opted for different ideas when mobilizing support. Swedish policy entrepreneurs successfully grafted the proposed ban onto salient gender equality ideas, and concerns over the abusive pasts suffered by prostitutes. By contrast, Norwegian pro-ban actors achieved political support by stressing the ability of the ban to combat trafficking, a claim made following the arrival of Nigerian street prostitutes on Norwegian city streets. Actors may desire similar prostitution policies cross-nationally, but stress ideas salient in their specific domestic setting when pursuing reform.

Regulating Sex Work: Heterogeneity in Legal Strategies

In this article, we examine various legal strategies used to regulate the sale and purchase of sexual services. We use three broad categories to structure our discussion: full criminalization, partial decriminalization, and full decriminalization. In each section, we discuss laws directed toward the control of sellers, buyers, and third parties. We focus on legislation and practices at the highest level of aggregation (i.e., the national, state, or provincial level), and due to limited data, we concentrate on high-income countries. We present a critical assessment of each legal approach and conclude with a call for future research on the consequences of different legal strategies for sellers, buyers, and third parties.

An Ambiguous Compassion: Policing and Debating Prostitution in Contemporary France

Since 1960, prostitution is defined by the French law as incompatible with human dignity. Prostitutes are considered as victims of social maladjustment who should be rescued by social workers and protected from pimps by the police. Major changes in prostitution policies have nevertheless been introduced in 2003, without fundamentally changing the law. Extended means have been given to the police to repress street prostitutes, and, crucially, to arrest and expel those prostitutes who are undocumented migrants. Surprisingly, this coercive turn has not been perceived as contradictory with the former compassionate approach, as repression is deemed to guarantee the protection of prostitutes' human dignity. This paradox stands at the core of the article that explores the public controversies on the issue—and especially the new project to criminalize the purchase of sexual services—among social movements, politicians, government agencies, and intellectuals, as they are expressed in the media and in parliamentary debates.

Human trafficking and drug distribution in Sweden from a market perspective—similarities and differences

Based on several studies, the aim of the article is to compare trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation to trafficking in drugs. Women are recruited and drugs are bought in other countries and transported to Sweden. What are the similarities and differences between the recruitment phase (women) and the purchases (drugs)? Both sexual services and drugs are sold in local markets. This requires marketing, contacts and access to customers. Women need accommodation and often a place to sell the services, drugs must be stored somewhere and prepared for sale. Procurement, trafficking and the purchase of sexual services are illegal and in the case of drugs even consumption and possession for personal use is illegal and prosecuted. Facilitators often play an important role in connecting customers and providers. This article will further describe what kind of organizational structure is needed to arrange these logistics and some different strategies used by organizers and distributors.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Buying Sex

This article explores the discourse on prostitution, trafficking, and buying sex. Buying sex or the purchase of sexual services, as the law says, has been a criminal act in Sweden since 1999. In the summer of 2006 Finland followed the lead, making it a crime to purchase sex from a person who has been subjected to trafficking or procuring. These reforms give a signal that the customers are responsible for increasing the international sex trade, but as the author argues, the commercial language used by the law makers may be a double-edged sword.

Wealth and sexual behaviour among men in Cameroon

BackgroundThe 2004 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) in Cameroon revealed a higher prevalence of HIV in richest and most educated people than their poorest and least educated compatriots. It is not certain whether the higher prevalence results partly or wholly from wealthier people adopting more unsafe sexual behaviours, surviving longer due to greater access to treatment and care, or being exposed to unsafe injections or other HIV risk factors. As unsafe sex is currently believed to be the main driver of the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, we designed this study to examine the association between wealth and sexual behaviour in Cameroon.MethodsWe analysed data from 4409 sexually active men aged 15–59 years who participated in the Cameroon DHS using logistic regression models, and have reported odds ratios (OR) with confidence intervals (CI).ResultsWhen we controlled for the potential confounding effects of marital status, place of residence, religion and age, men in the richest third of the population were less likely to have used a condom in the last sex with a non-spousal non-cohabiting partner (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.32–0.56) and more likely to have had at least two concurrent sex partners in the last 12 months (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.12–1.19) and more than five lifetime sex partners (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.60–2.43). However, there was no difference between the richest and poorest men in the purchase of sexual services. Regarding education, men with secondary or higher education were less likely to have used a condom in the last sex with a non-spousal non-cohabiting partner (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.16–0.38) and more likely to have started sexual activity at age 17 years or less (OR 2.73, 95% CI 2.10–3.56) and had more than five lifetime sexual partners (OR 2.59, 95% CI 2.02–3.31). There was no significant association between education and multiple concurrent sexual partnerships in the last 12 months or purchase of sexual services.ConclusionWealthy men in Cameroon are more likely to start sexual activity early and have both multiple concurrent and lifetime sex partners, and are less likely to (consistently) use a condom in sex with a non-spousal non-cohabiting partner. These unsafe sexual behaviours may explain the higher HIV prevalence among wealthier men in the country. While these findings do not suggest a redirection of HIV prevention efforts from the poor to the wealthy, they do call for efforts to ensure that HIV prevention messages get across all strata of society.

Through the Prism of Prostitution: Conceptions of Women and Sexuality in Sweden at Two Fins‐de‐Siècle

Implicit conceptions of women's sexuality rest on long historical traditions, and their formation show both stability and change. Women have gained a number of citizen rights in society, but where women's rights to bodily integrity are concerned these have been harder to attain. For more than a hundred years feminists have questioned a constitutive norm which states that men's sexuality is women's responsibility, and demanded changed state laws on prostitution and sexual violence. Sweden has a radical law which criminalizes the purchase of sexual services. Still, however, men's sexuality is by some seen as women's responsibility.

The production and reproduction of prostitution

This article is the result of a study aimed at grasping the knowledge of ‘prostitution’ since 1999 when the purchase of sexual services was criminalised in Sweden. Key informants drawn from the police, social services and voluntary organisations, who work in close proximity to prostitution, were interviewed. We focus on how the position of the informant, considering governmental and non-governmental exercise, effects her or his understanding, and reproduction, of the phenomena. The central themes are the question of definition, the importance of exposure and the occurrence of male prostitution. It is suggested that a study of these themes shows how the traditional position of the bad woman as vendor and the invisible man as purchaser is preserved. Hereby all the other constellations, that may as well be considered to be prostitution, remains unproblematized.