One in 20 students surveyed sells sex to cover university costs

About one in 20students are working in the sex industry to pay their way through university
About one in 20students are working in the sex industry to pay their way through university
ANDREW BRET WALLIS/OCEAN/CORBIS

About one in 20 students, according to the first significant research into the issue, are working in the sex industry to pay their way through university.

Lack of money is the biggest factor driving students into sex work, the national survey concludes, as undergraduates struggle to cope with living costs in the era of £9,000-a-year tuition fees.

More male than female students are making money through sex-related occupations, confirming an investigation by The Times last week which found that young men were performing on pornographic websites.

Most students were involved with “indirect” sex work: the five main activities for men were being a “naked butler”, stripping, selling sexual services on the internet, erotic dancing and performing in porn films.

For women, the most common occupations