The processes to begin consuming sexual services by women involved in commercial sex in Mexico City

Author: Gallego, Nicole

Abstract: This article deepens the knowledge about the processes that incite the consumption of sexual services by women in situations of prostitution, considering the testimonies of a group of heterosexual Mexican men. From a phenomenological methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six male clients of female prostitution, with the aim of exploring their perspectives and producing a comprehensive description of the experiences associated with the first sexual purchase. The main focus points of this study were: (a) the motivations that drove the decision to buy sexual services for the first time, (b) the induction process, (c) the way in which each subject interpreted their first experience and (d) the influence of said event in their subsequent sexual practices. The results concluded that the decision to consume sexual services for the first time was a spontaneous decision, made without critical analysis or reflection and being driven by curiosity, the desire to reinforce the masculine identity and the level of familiarity each subject had with the commercial sex industry. It is concluded that the decision to consume sexual services for the first time was based on a logic that brings together two essential aspects: the ideology of the dominant traditional masculinity, and the market-place rationality embedded within consumerist society.

Keywords: masculinities, clients of prostitution, male sexuality, Mexico, consumerism