Abstract:
We investigate the prevalence of factors associated with participation in the sex market among men resident in Britain using data from Britain's National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-2, 199-2001,Natsal-3, 2010-2012). The percentage of men asking for paid sex is about 12 per cent in 2010-2012 and it has increased from 10 per cent in 1999-2001. We estimate both the probability of having had sex with a prostitute and the expected number of times men had been together with prostitutes, conditional on participating in the sex market. We find that sex education in school has a negative and significant role in the demand for paid sex. At the time of availability of our data, sex education was compulsory only in council-run schools, but our result suggests that making sex education compulsory in all primary and/or secondary schools may reduce the inclination to have sex with prostitute later in life.