Study finds male sex workers felt safer advertising online than in the streets

Jul 7, 2016 | 2:59 PM

VANCOUVER — A study on male sex workers in Vancouver has found that although the move to selling sex online rather than on the streets improved safety, recent laws prohibiting the advertisement of sex online may be driving the industry further underground.

The study by the B.C. Centre of Excellence in HIV/AIDS and the outreach program Hustle surveyed men and trans men sex workers as well as those who buy their services.

It found that with new technology, sex work had largely moved off the streets and onto the web.

The report says while many male sex workers lost the support of the community on the street, the Internet offered more tools to screen buyers and negotiate the terms of transactions ahead of time, preventing violence and disputes.