Male prostitution in India: An undiscussed unrecognized but increasing problem!

 Male prostitution is a growing concern in India. These men, mostly young,  cater to wealthy female clients from overseas. This 'inverted sex tourism'  is rising. But Indian women of means also hire these men for sexual satisfaction. Most of these activities happen in urban setups and metro cities. And it has eventually also spread to the semi-urban and rural areas of the country. It remains unrecognized because the male prostitutes do not operate from a fixed 'den'. They hang around areas where they might easily get clients such as parks, gay clubs, and the like. And their work starts after dusk. 

Male prostitutes and India 

Increasingly, male prostitutes are finding their way into the society. They have cropped up due to the demand and means to hire them. They gratify elderly women from abroad and India as well as men. A BBC report has revealed that rich Indian women who have money at hand also are on the lookout of such men for one night. These women move around after dark in cars with tinted glasses to pick up their temporary sexual partners. 

Male prostitutes (Source: youtube) 

Besides women, these male prostitutes also cater to male clients who belong mostly to the film industry, the entertainment industry,  or are politicians. Thus many of these male prostitutes are bisexual. Many of them are also transgenders. Some are married. For majority, it is their main source of income and in a few it is an additional source of money. But they work individually and voluntarily. Agents or pimps are rarely involved. Thus exploitation chances are less. 

Hyderabad and male prostitution 

What gigolos say? 

One male gigolo said:

"It is not all fun and games as people think. Just as female sex workers face violence and get cheated, we face such situations from time to time too," 

He added:

"I have often not been paid by clients, and when I have protested, they have threatened me with telling the police that I tried to rape them. And there are clients who love to stub out burning cigarettes on our bodies. These days I have begun to charge for a cigarette burn – 500 rupees ($11) per stub,"

Most of these are in contact on phones or via Internet. Thus digital world has a role to play in helping this trade to flourish easily. 

More about male prostitution

Male prostitutes and their problems 

The gigolos are not an organized lot. Many are in the trade but none of their close ones are aware of it. They are also not aware of the risks they face in the form of HIV and sexually - transmitted diseases. 

Scientific article on HIV and STIs and male sex workers 

Some are coming to know of these health hazards and seek professional help. But majorly they are either ignorant or afraid to take medical help because of the associated stigma. This is risky especially because many of them do not use condoms and also indulge in anal sex. These unsafe practices lead to problems in the long run. Most men with STIs and HIV were found to be higher in age and in the flesh trade for a longer time. 

ABP news documentary on male prostitutes in Mumbai 

Shakti Arora playing the character of a male prostitute in film It's a Man's World (Source: Pinterest) 

The government has yet not woken up to the existence, increase, and issues of male prostitutes. They ought to make some policies to prevent this trade from increasing and also help rehabilitate those who are into it due to any reason. 

The coronavirus pandemic might push more young men into this trade and steps to curb it should be taken. There are some centers that have started to reach out and help these men but the assistance in this direction is still inadequate. Government needs to come forward and formulate policies to bring about a change in society where no person, male or female, is forced to sell his or her body for earning money. 

One point to stress is that this article aims to make readers aware of this problem and not frighten them. Knowing it is half battle won. To be in a state of denial helps neither society nor victims. 

Further reading:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5784832/

https://www.srhr-ask-us.org/publication/dancing-boys-traditional-prostitution-young-males-india-situational-assessment-report-adolescents-young-boys-vulnerable-forced-migration-trafficking-sexual-exploitation-india/