Gay and Bisexual Male Escorts Who Advertise on the Internet: Understanding Reasons for and Effects of Involvement in Commercial Sex JUDE M. UY JEFFREY T. PARSONS Hunter College of the City University of New York DAVID S. BIMBI JULINE A. KOKEN PERRY N. HALKITIS Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training The growing research on male commercial sex work has primarily concentrated on adolescent hustlers and street-based workers. Few studies have addressed the specific characteristics of adult male gay or bisexually identified escorts who work independently. We explored qualitatively reasons for and effects of sex work among 46 gay and bisexual male escorts in New York City who use the Internet to advertise their services. Participants completed quanti- tative measures and a semi-structured qualitative interview. A manual search of themes in the transcribed interviews identified three main reasons for participation in sex work—monetary bene- fits, positive impact on the self, and sexual pleasure. Participants also reported various changes to their personality and sexuality because of their involvement in commercial sex work. Internet- based male escorts represent a unique population of commercial sex workers, different from male sex workers who work on the streets, and have their own specific health needs. Keywords: male commercial sex work, gay and bisexual, Inter- net-based male escorts, health needs 11 The authors would like to thank James Kelleher and other members of the Center for HIV/AIDS Educa- tional Studies and Training (CHEST) team for their assistance and support with this project. We would also like to thank the participants and the members of our community who encouraged us to undertake this investigation. This paper was part of a master’s thesis completed by the first author under the supervi- sion of the second author. The “Classified Project” was supported by a Faculty Development Grant awarded to the second author. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jeffrey T. Parsons, Hunter College— CUNY, Department of Psychology, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021. Electronic mail: jeffrey.parsons@hunter.cuny.edu. International Journal of Men’s Health, Vol. 3, No. 1, Spring 2004, 11-26. © 2004 by the Men’s Studies Press, LLC. All rights reserved.