up for rent

I've spent the past few weeks investigating the tragic world of young male sex workers in Manchester's Gay Village for a series of pieces I hope to write.
Apart from the shocking personal stories I've heard - featuring grooming, rape and the constant threat of violence - what strikes me is the relative invisibility of rent boys compared to females on the game.
One reason, of course, is that there are probably a lot more women selling sex for a living. But it's an issue which bothers those working in the field.
The few occasions when male prositutes are discussed in public are linked to scandal, such as last year's withdrawal of Lib Dem MP Mark Oaten from the leadership race.
And while we get occasional rumblings of concern for the plight of women on the streets - most recently in the aftermath of the Suffolk serial killer - there's little discussion over male exploitation.
Like their female counterparts, these men face huge risks in terms of personal safety and physical and emotional health. Straight men who fall into sex work - very common apparently - are often left in severe sexual confusion, which can compound or lead to problems with substance misuse.
Support workers point out that Paying the Price, the new prostitution strategy brought out by the government in 2006, contained only one paragraph relating to men.
One I spoke to wonders whether the reasons could be rooted in a reluctance by mainly male strategists to consider issues around homosexuality.
In Manchester, just one project works with male prostitutes.
They know of about 60 lads, aged between 15 and 30, who are earning their living by sleeping with mainly older men - but there could be more. While they do a great job, like all charities they are limited by their funding.
These people face an impossible task with humbling dedication. All their clients are vulnerable and many have drug or alcohol addictions, are homeless and have mental health issues. Some have been groomed and have been pimped out by their exploiters. Some go on to groom other teenagers and have become so cynical they see little wrong with their actions.
But there are success stories. One guy I met, who went on the game aged 16, hopes to go to college and study social care, so he can use his experiences to help other young people.
One project worker says: "We aim to provide a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on, without judging anyone for what they do. If we can work with five people and move them on, that's great.
"We can't work with everyone at once. We have to let people know who we are and wait until they're ready to accept help. Then we'll do everything we can to support them."