Using a large sample of men arrested for attempting to hire prostitutes in three Western cities (n = 1,281), this study assessed the importance of fellatio as the motivation for seeking a prostitute's services.
The questionnaires completed by the men indicated that they were more likely to select fellatio than any other sexual practice when asked which practices they had ever experienced with a prostitute, experienced most frequently with a prostitute, and experienced during their most recent sexual encounter with a prostitute. In addition, respondents were more likely than men in general to find fellatio highly appealing. This finding contrasts sharply with non-paid sexual practices, in which vaginal sex is overwhelmingly preferred and practiced (Laumann et al., 1994). These findings tend to support the hypothesis that the desire for fellatio may be one reason some men seek the sexual services of prostitutes. Other possible reasons why fellatio is preferred by customers of prostitutes are offered, including clients' belief that compared to vaginal sex, fellatio puts them at less risk for AIDS. Although there are multiple explanations for the prevalence of fellatio in encounters with prostitutes, findings suggest that some clients seek the services of prostitutes because they want to experience fellatio. This may be because it is a sexual practice to which they may not have regular access through socially approved means. If given greater access to fellatio, some clients may move on to other practices that remain unavailable through conventional sexual relationships. The sample was divided between San Francisco, CA (n = 950); Portland, OR (n = 77); and Las Vegas, NV (n = 254). Demographic characteristics of the sample are also reported. 2 tables and 16 references