This paper critically synthesises available research that examines young people's relationships with sugar daddies and mummies. It considers definitional, measurement and analytical issues involved in assessing these relationships, their magnitude, patterns, determinants and consequences. The review compares and contrasts the experiences of young people in a variety of settings in developing countries versus developed countries, and identifies key associated factors perpetuating those relationships. The implications of this endeavour for data needs and future research and intervention studies targeted at promoting young people's health and well being are discussed within the contexts of globalisation and localisation and recommendations for dealing with these experiences.