Male sex work and society.

This book is one example of the opportunities new technologies provide, as it would have been almost impossible to conceive and assemble even 20 years ago: the research that forms the backbone of this book simply did not yet exist. The research at that time focused largely on the health of street-based sex workers in Western urban settings. While the research in this book does not ignore that group, it also explores the other spaces where men sell sex. Moreover, although this compilation does not ignore the impact sex work has on the health of male sex workers (MSWs), the contributors are also more broadly interested in how the health of these men is impacted by contemporary social, cultural, and environmental forces. We wanted this book to provide broad coverage of male sex work. We sought to include multiple disciplinary perspectives, moving well beyond the public health or sociological focus of much of the earlier literature. We also wanted to capture a sense of the cross-cultural variations in the male sex encounter. Rather than simplifying or condensing our subject matter, we have brought together varied voices that can testify to its complexity and rich diversity. We hope and trust that this book, which presents original research from both young and well-established scholars in the field, brings both breadth and depth to the study of male sex work and gives coherence to the emerging voices of MSWs who are telling their stories. It also provides a broad overview of the literature on MSWs, including studies that have emerged over the last 20 years, and identifies areas for future research.