  Sex work, or the exchange of sexual services for money or goods, is
ubiquitous across eras and cultures. However, the practice of selling sex is
often hidden due to stigma and the varying legal status of sex work. Online
platforms that sex workers use to advertise services have become an
increasingly important means of studying a market that is largely hidden.
Although prior literature has primarily shed light on sex work from a public
health or policy perspective (focusing largely on female sex workers), there
are few studies that empirically research patterns of service provision in
online sex work. This study investigated the determinants of pricing and
popularity in the market for commercial sexual services online by using data
from the largest UK network of online sexual services, a platform that is the
industry-standard for sex workers. While the size of these influences varies
across genders, nationality, age and the services provided are shown to be
primary drivers of rates and popularity in sex work.
