title: A profile of the clients of male sex workers in three Australian cities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper describes the profile of clients as reported by 186 male sex workers in three Australian cities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were collected using a diary which was completed after each commercial sexual encounter with a male client over a two-week period. The data reported in this study are based on reports from 2,088 sex encounters and a profile of 1,776 clients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings reveal, for example, that the most common source used for recruiting clients was advertisements, followed by escort agencies, although there were differences between the three cities; the majority of the clients were in their 40s but clients of street workers were younger; clients were most often classified as 'middle class', with differences by source of client recruitment; less than half the clients were identified as being gay and a significant number were identified as bisexual or straight; alcohol and drug use took place in a small percentage of the encounters; most workers had some information about their clients, such as occupation and home number; violence was infrequent; and unsafe sex was requested in a minority of the encounters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the results reveal that clients of male sex workers are a highly heterogeneous group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The paper highlights a number of issues which can further promote safety and public accountability in male sex work.
authors.affiliation: School of Health, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales. vminichi@metz.une.edu.au
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Minichiello
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mariño
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jamieson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D011793:Queensland; D011477:Sex Work / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D014739:Victoria; D014754:Violence