Sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes of men buying sex in Finland

Aim: To study the sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes associated with buying sex among Finnish men residing in different areas of Finland. Methods: A population-based questionnaire survey among 18–74-year-old Finns in 1999 with a response rate among men of 38%. The data on 575 men were analysed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: The overall proportion of men ever having bought sex was 14%. Men who at the time of the survey were in the age group 30–39, aged 50 or over, with 13–15 years of educational study, entrepreneurs, and with high income, were more likely to have ever bought sex. Being married and living with a partner at the time of the study lowered the odds of ever having bought sex. The differences between the groups were mostly the same in all residential areas, though the strength and statistical significance varied. The exception was the association with education, which occurred only in small towns. The effect of attitudes to buying sex was strong and did not differ by area of residence. Conclusions: Many men with different sociodemographic characteristics reported having bought sex. There was no noticeable variation in the sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes of men having bought sex by the area of residence. More current research is needed on the motives and health consciousness of men buying sex.