Sex Work in the Digital Age

Background: Social Networking applications and websites (SNA’s) are commonly used by Two-Spirit, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and straight men who sell sex to other men (2SGBTQS). Since Covid-19 there has been a recent and drastic digital shift of the 2SGBTQS community, that has fueled new risks to 2SGBTQS men’s health, especially among those who use SNAs to sell sex. For example, sex work can increase the risk of contracting HIV and other STBBIs.2SGBTQS men choose to participate in sex work for a variety of reasons, including as a chosen career as well as a forced source of income. The COVID-19 pandemic has further endangered sex workers by forcing many to stop in-person services, reduce the number of clients they can service, or adapt their services to occur online-only. Despite these and other health and safety risks, little is known about men who sell sex and the associated risks, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic era. It is crucial to improve our understanding of the role SNAs play in sex work and how 2SGBTQS men’s practices may increase the risk of contracting HIV and other STBBIs. The purpose of this project will investigate the health and safety issues of 2SGBTQS men who use SNAs to sell and/or purchase sex work.

What are we doing? Through consultation with community partners, this project will develop tailored resources and interventions that can support and promote the health of 2SGBTQS men who sell sex online through interviews with 10 2SGBTQS men located in Halifax, Nova, Scotia. Service providers will also be interviewed who work with 2SGBTQS men who sell or purchase sex to generate a nuanced understanding of 2SGBTQS men’s experiences of selling sex online through SNAs. The findings of this project will assist in the development of tailored resources and interventions that can support and promote the health of 2SGBTQS men.

This research is funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR).