Today's study, published in the Sexually Transmitted Infections Journal, says that one in ten men attending a Glasgow sexual health clinic between October 2002 and February 2004 admit to paying for sex at some point in their lives.

The research team from the Glasgow-based sexual health centre Sandyford Initiative said that more men paid for sex while overseas than in the UK, while only two per cent said they had done both.

Two-thirds of those who admitted paying for sex said cash had exchanged hands within the last year, with about one quarter saying paid-for sexual encounters were a regular occurrence.

Although 56 per cent revealed they had unprotected vaginal sex with prostitutes despite having a partner at the same time, none of the respondents were found to be HIV positive.

The study's authors say that the real proportion of men paying for sex is likely to be much higher than one in ten, with many thought to be unwilling to disclose such information.

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