A new study has found that many men who frequent prostitutes are married and well educated. (Pawel Kopczynski/Reuters)

Much has been written about the world's oldest profession — prostitution — and the women who practise it, but there's been little information published about their clients.

A new study by a Canadian researcher attempts to change that by delving into the motives and experiences of the men who frequent prostitutes, known as Johns.

Study author Chris Atchison, who teaches sociology at Simon Fraser University, spoke with almost 1,000 Johns from across Canada, ranging in age from 19 to 85. In his research, Atchison found that about half of the Johns he interviewed were married and more than 40 per cent had a bachelor's degree. The average age of the Johns in Atchison's sample was 42.

CBC reporter Aziza Sindhu spoke to Atchison and learned that his findings also challenge the popular notion of Johns as degenerate and violent.

Listen here to the documentary on CBC's The Current for the full story. It's preceded by a short question-and-answer session between host Anna Maria Tremonti and Sindhu.

Warning: There's explicit language in the documentary that may not be suitable for some listeners.

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