Money, Drugs, and Bodies: Examining Exchange Sex from Multiple Perspectives

Abstract

Research on men who sell sex has primarily focused on psychological profiles and HIV risk factors. Substantially less literature examines the consumers in the male-to-male exchange sex dyad. This article examines the perspectives of venders and consumers. Data come from a qualitative study of a group of 26 men who recently exchanged sex for money or drugs in New York City. Findings indicate that a complex set of interactions between motivation, communication, medium of exchange, and access to capital—financial, drug, or sexual—shapes risks. This article includes discussion of the potential implications of these findings for practitioners, and future research.

KEYWORDS:

• exchange sex
• drug use
• MSM
• Internet

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank all the men who were interviewed for this study, and the openness with which they shared their lives, experiences, and thoughts with us. This study was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Drug Abuse (R21 DA022125 01).