ABSTRACT
A Swedish report estimated that male sex workers accounted for 10–20% of the overall sex worker population, and online escort forums are likely to be the dominant venue where male escorts are found. Suggestions of a decline in sex work as a result of the growth of new technology seem exaggerated. The popularity of dating and sexual rendezvous sites, with their absence of cost and mitigation of moral concerns, renders such sites a popular alternative to traditional sexual service providers. The historic tendency of research to focus on street work, which is more likely to involve survival sex and violent exploitation, has also muddied the waters. Researchers have the opportunity to further collaborate with sex workers and governments to show the impact of decriminalizing the sex industry. A government review of decriminalization in New South Wales resulted in continued support of the policy. Unlike decriminalization, legalization involves state regulation of the sex industry.
