Innovative Approaches to Understanding How, Why and Under What Conditions Young People Trade Virtual and In-Person Sex
Funder: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Sexual Acts or Materials for Pay (SAMP) or compensation (e.g., money, drugs, alcohol) is a complex public health issue. Significant increases in internet usage have drastically changed the landscape of virtual sex trades (e.g., photos, webcamming). However, our understanding of SAMP is methodologically limited, as it most often relies on a single item, e.g., “have you ever traded sex for money or drugs?” Extant research does not differentiate between sex trade types (e.g., virtual vs. in-person), circumstances (e.g., economic need), compensation type (e.g., money, substances), risks (e.g., unprotected sex, victimization) and protective factors (e.g., harm reduction strategies). We have developed a multi-item SAMP index measure to identify behaviors and their associated compensations, circumstances, risks, and harms. We validated our measure in a sample of university students, and found that in-person and virtual SAMP may be more widespread and relevant to a larger segment of the population than previously assumed. This novel, multi-phase, mixed-methods project has 3 objectives:
- Refine and improve our SAMP index measure for the general population by using interviews and focus groups with people of lived experiences;
- Use the resulting measure to identify the prevalence and associated characteristics (e.g., adverse experiences, substance use, mental health problems, and violence) of SAMP in a nationally representative sample of young adults (ages 18-34);
- Examine the characteristics of SAMP in a non-probability sample of young people who report having participated in at least one sex trades behavior (ages 18-34).
Data gleaned from these two samples will allow us to understand whether and how circumstances and associated harms differ between those who are captured in a nationally representative sample and those targeted based on identified sex trades, thereby ensuring that the experiences of the most vulnerable are made visible. Findings have the potential to transform our understanding of SAMP, which is needed to advance interventions and policies to support youth across settings.