Is Male Massage Really Massage?

Massage, it seems, can be many things to many people. Some people realize the many healing benefits that massage therapy offers, and some still equate massage with the kind that used to be done in massage parlors, the kind with a "happy ending". As one who went to massage school and became a Licensed Massage Therapist, I am more than aware of the massage establishment's efforts to distance legitimate massage therapy from the "massage parlors" of old. These were mostly fronts for prostitution, and have been outlawed in most parts of the country. These days, in almost all states, one must spend many hours (usually anywhere from 500 to 1000 hours of instruction and clinical practice) in massage school to get licensed. In school, it is made very clear to us that massages are to be non-sexual, and this is actually included in the Code of Ethics set forth by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), the main governing body of massage therapy in the United States. Violating this code results in getting one's license revoked and also in possible legal action. So the definition of "massage" as it applies to a field of healthcare that is regulated could be: "Physical manipulation carried out by a licensed professional with the intent to facilitate healing."

Given this definition, "male massage" will overwhelmingly fails to meet the requirements to be considered massage, at least legally. Not many people will know what male massage actually means. Nor will they think to do a search on the internet, because most women want a woman therapist, and the same goes for men. But if you DO search for the terms "male massage", what comes up in the results are sites that cater to men looking for treatment from another man. And not only that, but these "treatments" are sexual in nature. The top results you get when you search for "male massage" are directories of massage therapists offering these services, and they're not shy about it. Most feature pictures of the therapist, topless and oftentimes bottomless, too! Those who do not know this beforehand are in for a shock.