Trends show younger men more likely to pay for sex
Irish Times 17/10/2006
by Carl O'Brien

There appears to be an increasing trend towards paying for sex among younger men.

The report found that 6.4 per cent of men reported having paid for sex at some stage in their lives. The oldest age group of men were the most likely to have paid a women for sex.

However, men aged 24-34 were the most likely to have paid for sex within the last five years. Men aged 18-24 were the second most likely to have paid for sex over the same period.

Researchers said these relatively high figures suggested there was an increasing use of paid sex among younger men.

While questions on payment for sex were also asked of women, just one case was reported. This made analysis impossible, researchers said.

Similarly, figures were so low under the category of payment for sex with same-sex partners that analysis was not possible.

When broken down by social class, men in higher professional and managerial occupations were mostly likely to have paid for sex. The result is similar to surveys in Britain, suggesting that such men have higher incomes and may be able to afford the expense.

Other factors are shown to be important predictors for having paid for sex. They include single men, followed by those in a casual relationship or co-habiting. Married men are significantly less likely to have paid for sex.

A man who had a same-sex experience was five times more likely to have paid for sex with a woman. This pattern is also reflected in British research. Also, men with more unpaid sexual partners were more likely to have paid for sex.

Of all the men who paid for sex, 44 per cent did so with one person; 50 per cent paid for sex with between two and nine partners; and 6 per cent did so with 10 or more.

In terms of safe sex, 83 per cent of those who paid for sex reported always using a condom; 7 per cent used them inconsistently.

In general the figures indicate that the pattern of commercial sex in Ireland is similar to that in Britain. There, men aged 24-35 are the most likely to have paid for sex in the last five years.