In the 19th century, the term began to be used in English as a euphemism for a brothel. In the British Medical Association BMA inquired into the education and practice of massage practitioners in London, and found that prostitution was commonly associated with unskilled workers and debt, often working with forged qualifications.
In response, legitimate massage workers formed the Society of Trained Masseuses now known as the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy , with an emphasis on high academic standards and a medical model for massage training. There is a grey area and ambiguity as to when an ordinary massage becomes sexual when it comes to individuals with sexual interests such as tripsophilia, tripsolagnophilia, partialism , autofetishism or organofact, who may feel that the massage of the entire body or any ordinary body parts unrelated to typical erogenous zones are associated with eroticism and sensuality.
A article about massage parlours in Toronto describes a "thriving" industry. The article profiles one massage parlour, which promotes its services and masseuses with a website. The facility has private rooms with massage tables, mirrors and showers.
Some clients request oral sex, sexual intercourse, or fetish activities for an extra price, but not all masseuses provide these services. In Italy, massage parlours can be fronts for prostitution. Advertisements for massage parlours are listed in newspapers, in some cases offering "Japanese" or "Oriental" massage. Viva Lain, one of Italy's largest chains of massage parlours, was raided by the police in Since the end of the 20th century an expansion in prostitution in Malaysia has resulted in massage parlors being established across the country.
Malaysian massage parlors often call themselves spas, salons, or health centres, and many offer erotic massages and "happy endings". In Kathmandu 's tourist district of Thamel , massage parlours typically advertise Thai massage, Ayurvedic massage or Nepalese "special massage".
