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Unsafe Sex in the City: Risk Pricing in the London Area

Author

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  • Muravyev, Alexander

    (Higher School of Economics, St. Petersburg Branch)

  • Talavera, Oleksandr

    (University of Birmingham)

Abstract

This paper studies the incidence, determinants and pricing of unprotected oral sex in the London sex services market. The analysis is based upon matched sex worker-client panel data, which were collected from "field reports" on PunterNet.com website over the 1999-2009 time period. We find a steady increase in the incidence of unprotected oral sex during this period, rising from less than 20% to over 50% of all transactions. We show that the average premium for unprotected oral sex amounts to about 10-14% of the transaction price, and that this premium is higher if a sex worker has agency affiliation. Agency affiliated sex workers are also less likely to engage in unprotected oral sex compared to independent sex workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Muravyev, Alexander & Talavera, Oleksandr, 2018. "Unsafe Sex in the City: Risk Pricing in the London Area," IZA Discussion Papers 11390, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp11390
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    Cited by:

    1. Hiroyuki Yamada & Yuki Kanayama & Kanako Yoshikawa & Kyaw Wai Aung, 2022. "Place‐based price differentials of prostitution: a case study in Yangon, Myanmar," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 36(1), pages 17-29, May.
    2. Matthew Quaife & Fern Terris‐Prestholt & Zindoga Mukandavire & Peter Vickerman, 2021. "Modelling the effect of market forces on the impact of introducing human immunodeficiency virus pre‐exposure prophylaxis among female sex workers," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(3), pages 659-679, March.
    3. Matthew Quaife & Peter Vickerman & Shanthi Manian & Robyn Eakle & Maria A. Cabrera‐Escobar & Sinead Delany‐Moretlwe & Fern Terris‐Prestholt, 2018. "The effect of HIV prevention products on incentives to supply condomless commercial sex among female sex workers in South Africa," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(10), pages 1550-1566, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    United Kingdom; sex agencies; unsafe sex; prostitution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J46 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Informal Labor Market
    • J48 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Particular Labor Markets; Public Policy
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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