Citation

Barnard MA, McKeganey NP, Leyland AH. Br. Med. J. BMJ 1993; 307(6900): 361-362.

Affiliation

Public Health Research Unit, University of Glasgow.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8374419

PMCID

PMC1678205

Abstract

143 clients of prostitutes were recruited and asked to complete a short questionnaire. 68 were recruited in 2 genitourinary clinics in Glasgow, 66 were interviewed by telephone after answering an advertisement and 9 were contacted in Glasgow's red light area. The last 2 methods yielded a non clinic group. The men reported having paid for sexual services a median of 7 times (range 1-2000) since 1980. Higher numbers of contacts were reported by the non-clinic group: 28 (37%) if these men reported having had 21-50 contacts, significantly more than the clinic group, 28 (41%) of whom reported having had 1-10 contacts. The medial time of the men's last contact with a prostitute was 60 days. 103 men reported having paid for vaginal intercourse during this contact; 89 paid for masturbation or other non-penetrative sex; 87 paid for oral sex; and 11 paid for anal intercourse. Clearly, some men, engaged in more than one sexual activity. 17 men did not use condoms during the last paid vaginal intercourse nor did 31 men when they last had oral sex, but all anal intercourse was reportedly protected. 14% (19/133) of those who had used a condom reported condom failure during the last purchased sexual service. 32% (10/31) of men who contacted prostitutes working on the streets had not used a condom during their last contact. 121 men reported having private, noncommercial sexual contacts; 79 reported having one sexual partner, and 42 reported having 2 or more concurrent sexual partners (range 2-20), 2 of whom reported sexual contacts with other men. 117 men reported having had vaginal intercourse while 85 had had oral sex, 82 had had other non-penetrative sex, and 16 had had anal intercourse. A minority of these men reported always using condoms with their partners: 24% (27/114) of those having vaginal intercourse, 5% (4/80) of those having oral sex, and 33% (5/15) of those having anal intercourse.

Language: en