Selling sex: what determines rates and popularity? An analysis of 11,500 online profiles

Abstract

Sex work, or the exchange of sexual services for money or goods, is ubiquitous across eras and cultures. However, the practice of selling sex is often hidden due to stigma and the varying legal status of sex work. Online platforms that sex workers use to advertise services have become an increasingly important means of studying a market that is largely hidden. Although prior literature has primarily shed light on sex work from a public health or policy perspective (focusing largely on female sex workers), there are few studies that empirically research patterns of service provision in online sex work. This study investigated the determinants of pricing and popularity in the market for commercial sexual services online by using data from the largest UK network of online sexual services, a platform that is the industry-standard for sex workers. While the size of these influences varies across genders, nationality, age and the services provided are shown to be primary drivers of rates and popularity in sex work.

Sexual Interaction in Digital Contexts and Its Implications for Sexual Health: A Conceptual Analysis

“…Attempts of non-consensual initiation of offline sexual encounters in digital contexts are described, however, as unethical and illegal grooming of children or harassment of adults ( Malesky, 2007 ; Thompson, 2018 ; Greene-Colozzi et al, 2020 ). When it comes to commercial sex, the literature acknowledges opportunities of reaching clients on social media or dating platform for self-determined sex workers of different genders and sexual identities ( Brennan, 2017 ; Kingston and Smith, 2020 ; Mergenthaler and Yasseri, 2021 ; Morris, 2021 ). At the same time, digital technologies are also characterized as dangerous because young women in particular can be lured and pressured by older men into the digital paysex market without them being able to fully consent, sex trafficking takes place online and prostitutes are contacted online by offenders ( Beckham and Prohaska, 2012 ; Jonsson et al, 2014 ; O’Brien and Li, 2020 ; see Table 4 ).…”

“…Consent turned out to be a key mediator as non-consensual interactions were linked to negative ( Eaton et al, 2020 ) and consensual interactions to positive outcomes ( Lemke and Merz, 2018 ). Consent is relevant in that regard not only for non-commercial, but also for commercial interactions: While the possibility to advertise own sexual services online has been economically beneficial for many sex workers ( Mergenthaler and Yasseri, 2021 ), both private and commercial users are exposed to the risks of their intimate data being misused ( Beckham and Prohaska, 2012 ; Greene-Colozzi et al, 2020 ).…”

Towards deconstructing urban tourism within the framework of commercial sex work in Uganda

“…To begin with, much of CSWs nowadays is negotiated with clients and they are facilitated through online spaces. These are known as off-street sex workers (Reynolds, 2021;Giommoni et al, 2021;Vlase and Preoteasa, 2021;Mergenthaler and Yasseri, 2021;Wang et al, 2022;Almond and Mallette, 2022). In addition, adult entertainment platforms have become very convenient to both the sex sellers and their clientele in a number of countries, including Uganda (Hill and Lee, 2021).…”

The global migration network of sex-workers

“…The stigmatisation of the activity, legislation aiming to fight the organised crime, human exploitation, and commercial sexual services all contribute to pushing advertising of escort services online [10,27]. Escorting has been increasingly advertised in online platforms given the reachability, safety, low costs and flexibility of such marketing venues [8,11,23,28]. Not least, online tools may bring financial benefits to individuals who can often work autonomously with more flexibility, safety and convenience also for clients.…”