Adolescent Research Review. Transactional sex, the casual exchange of sexual favors for money or gifts, has been associated with negative outcomes and health risks, particularly among youth. This global review of the evidence explores trends of buying and selling sex among the general population of male and female youth across 28 countries. It compares the differences and similarities in prevalence rates between genders male versus female , sex trading activities selling versus buying , and country income groups high-income versus low- and middle-income countries and examines the relationships and situations surrounding transactional sex, and its correlates.
Gender disaggregated data suggests that boys are more likely than girls to sell sex in high-income countries while the opposite seems to be true in low- and middle-income countries.
The findings suggest that initial contact between sellers and buyers is most often established through friends, acquaintances, and dating websites. Money is the most commonly used form of compensation. Correlates of selling sex include involvement in other risky sexual behaviors, substance use, infection with sexually transmitted diseases, mental health problems, family break-up, and a history of victimization.
No or mixed relations have been found with socioeconomic and educational status. The correlates of buying sex include promiscuity, substance use, violence perpetration and, to some extent, higher socioeconomic status. Recommendations for future research are discussed. Transactional sex among youth, or the casual exchange of sexual favors for money or gifts, has only recently become a focus of research. While it shares many characteristics with commercial prostitution, it differs in a number of ways.
Whereas in many countries, commercial prostitution is considered a profession, transactional sex is mostly viewed as the informal trading of sex, experimental, and of low frequency Fredlund et al. In addition, while for many juvenile sex workers involvement in the commercial sex market is a main source of income, transactional sex generally supplements other income sources Jewkes et al. Different from many commercial sex workers, young people who engage in transactional sex also report that they are selective about their customers and the sexual acts that they perform, and that they do not view themselves as sex workers Kaufman and Stavrou ; Luke and Kurz ; Nnko et al.
