A visitor views the installation 'The Hoerengracht' ('Whore's Canal') by U.S. artists Ed Kienholz and Nancy Reddin Kienholz at the National Gallery in central London November 17, 2009.
A visitor views the installation 'The Hoerengracht' ('Whore's Canal') by U.S. artists Ed Kienholz and Nancy Reddin Kienholz at the National Gallery in central London November 17, 2009. Reuters

A new report has shown that 11% of British males have paid for sex in their lifetime and that young professionals are more likely to seek out prostitution than "lonely older men".

The report published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, said couples were having less sex than in the 1990s, and investigated how many people paid for sex.

The data from the Third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles study, analysed by the University College London, showed that those who paid for sex were also likely to use drugs or binge drink.

"These men tend to be highly sexually active," said Dr Cath Mercer, lead researcher.

"It could be down to opportunistic reasons such as a lads' weekend away, paid-for sex is available, it's something they wouldn't necessarily do at home, but in that situation it happens, but there are other reasons as well.

"What we do in the UK won't stop men paying for sex, we may push them abroad even more."

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