Male prostitution is the sale of sexual services by a male prostitute with either male or female clients. The gender of a male prostitute's sexual partner or the sexual act that he and the client participates in may not indicate a prostitute's sexual orientation; a male prostitute may be heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual regardless of his client's gender.
Slang
Common slang terms for males involved in prostitution in the Anglosphere include "escorts", "man-whore", "rentboys", "hustlers", "working boys", "trade", "call-boys". Slang terms from other regions include: "taxi boys" (Argentina and to a lesser extent in Chile), "gigolos" (Turkey), "Callboys" (Germany and in the Philippines), “鸭子”　pronounced "yāzǐ" and meaning "duck" (Mainland China),"ホスト" pronounced "hosuto" and meaning "host" (Japan), "gigolò" or "puttano" (Italy), "garoto de programa" meaning "program boy" (Brazil) and "tapins" (France). The rentboy name is derived either from the fact that the boys were renting themselves out, or that they paid their rent with their earnings. An escort who doesn't identify as gay, but who has sex with male clients, is sometimes called "gay for pay" or "rough trade". While less frequent[citation needed], male prostitutes offering services to female customers are sometimes known as "giglis" or "gigolos".

Clients, especially ones who pick up escorts on the street or in bars, are sometimes called "johns" or "tricks". Those working in prostitution sometimes refer to their trade as "turning tricks".

People who prostitute themselves with others while in an amorous/sexual relationship are sometimes said to hustle "on the side".