LAS VEGAS: The world’s oldest profession is getting a surge of new blood, thanks to a decision this week that opens the door to the first legal male prostitutes in US history.

The Shady Lady Ranch, a small brothel about 150 miles from Las Vegas where about four female prostitutes now work, is accepting applications via its website for male sex workers after receiving the go-ahead from the local board that licenses prostitutes. “My wife wanted to try this, so I said OK,” said 78-year-old Jim Davis, a retired architect from California who has owned the brothel with his wife for 17 years.

“We don’t know whether it’s going to work or not, but it’s gonna be fun to find out.” Nevada is the only US state to allow legal prostitution, but the laws governing it specify cervical screenings for female sex workers. The Davises persuaded the Nevada Board of Health to grant a waiver creating a health-screening process for men, which involves urethral tests.

Co-owner Bobbi Davis, 55, has received hundreds of

applicants and hopes to hire one or two studs by the end

of the month. Several male escorts and porn stars have sent in their resumes and photos, but she said she’s looking for someone who can charm women as much as sexually perform for them. “They’ve got to be able to laugh at a lady’s joke,” Davis said.

The Davises seek heterosexual men aiming to please women and said if the clientele seeking male prostitutes turns out to be predominantly other men, they will stop offering the service.

“But because of the law, if a male wants a male line-up, we will have to provide one,” he said. “That being said, same as with any of our girls, any sex worker can refuse to do anything they do not wish to do with another customer.”

While Nevada is the only state where prostitution is legal, it is not legal in counties with more than 100,000 residents. That includes Clark County, where Las Vegas is situated, and Washoe County, home to Reno. The nearest legal brothel to Las Vegas is in Pahrump, more than 60 miles away. The border of Nye County, where Shady Lady is located, is more than 60 miles from Las Vegas.

In 2005, former Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss announced she would open a male brothel in Nye County, drawing international media attention. But Fleiss was unable to get a license because of prior felony convictions.

Some other brothel owners oppose the addition of male prostitutes on grounds the

state legislature may become uneasy with its potential for homosexual activity and ban all prostitution. But Dennis Hof, owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch near Reno, isn’t concerned. He doesn’t think there’s much of a market for male sex workers from either male or female clients and predicts that the issue will wane once its modest economic potential is determined.