Growing number of male students turning to sex work to fund Uni, says survey

A growing number of male students in the UK are turning to sex work, a new survey has found.

The research, part of the University of Swansea’s Sex Work Project, surveyed almost 7000 students over a period of over three years.

In total, 2.4% of the men surveyed admitted to being involved in direct sex work, such as prostitution and escorting. This number grew to 3.5% when involving indirect sex work such as phone sex and webcam pornography.

Shockingly, almost 15% of men claimed to have considered taking part in indirect sex work, while almost 9% said they had contemplated direct sex work.

The study’s lead researcher, Dr. Tracey Sagar, says that it’s time universities start protecting students in order to keep them safe from the numerous risks that come with engaging in sex work.

“We now have firm evidence that students are engaged in the sex industry across the UK. The majority of these students keep their occupations secret and this is because of social stigma and fears of being judged by family and friends,” she said.

“We have to keep in mind that not all students engaged in the industry are safe or feel safe. It is vital now that Universities arm themselves with knowledge to better understand student sex work issues and that University services are able to support students where support is needed,” she added.

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