Sex Work or Paid Rape? Is It Really A Profession?

When you use or hear the term, “sex worker”, is the first thing that comes to mind,

“This would be the perfect job for my family and friends? 

What about when you’re considering a change of career path, is escort and Only Fans at the top of your list when job hunting?

I highly suspect that the answer to both of these questions is a resounding no, after all:

1.    How many jobs require drugs and alcohol to perform your duties?

The answer is none.

Often when people throw around the term “sex work”, they consider it a job for immigrants and addicts, but not for their family.

Have you ever considered, that if prostitution really is a job, then why is there the restriction that you have to be 18? In many industries, students at high school and college can legally start work from age 15, but with prostitution, they would have to be 18.

I don’t believe that it is a job, however, if it is, then that would make the bedroom the workplace and the bed the work station? How is the bedroom a workplace for any man or woman on this earth and how is the bed a workstation?

I don’t believe that it is a job, however, if it is a job, then that makes the man the customer, which then makes the prostitute the product.

If a human is a product, that makes them a commodity to be bought and sold, which is justified by the phrase:

"Prostitution is the oldest profession in the book."

International speaker and survivor leader Rachel Moran sees things differently, with her debut book title summing up prostitution simplistically in just two words"

“Paid Rape.”

Movies like Hustlers and platforms like Only Fans glamorize an industry that for generations has been shrouded in secrecy, conducted behind closed doors, hidden from public view, and surrounded by shame, secrecy, and stigma.

The fact is, if prostitution were truly a legitimate job, people would openly promote it during careers days at universities or secondary schools, however, no one has ever come forward to advocate for prostitution as a profession. There are no presentations, no workshops, no encouragement to pursue it, instead it is looked down upon, not considered a respectable vocation for aspirational students wanting to enter the world of work.

The Reality Behind Legalization

There is so much debate surrounding the legalization of prostitution, and the so-called benefits of doing so, and that's because society does not understand the stark realities of what it is really like to sell sex for money.

This is notwithstanding the fact, that many "customers," if I may use such a term, more often then not, want to have sex with a minor. That is a crime.

The other problem with legalizing prostitution is that it leads to an increase in human trafficking, and makes it difficult for someone to identify as a victim, when the "industry" that they are in, does not view their "profession" as a violation against their human and bodily rights.

We can even go one step further and ask the question, how do we safeguard prostitution?

A panic button is not the answer, because even it becomes a legal requirement to have one installed inside every brothel, by the time it is used, the sexual violation has already occurred.

In addition, what many people don't realize is that prostitution is merely training ground for a lot of men, who don't seek out prostitutes for sexual gratification alone, but more often they not, for power, control, and dominance over another human being.

In fact, there are documented cases of men purchasing prostitutes, brutally abusing them, causing physical harm, and then later being seen on television or arrested for committing serious sexual offenses of rape or even murder against a stranger.

Social Stigma and Public Perception

The challenge that arises, if prostitution is legalized, stems from the fact that most prostitutes would not want to be publicly associated with this industry because of the shame and stigma attached.

Furthermore, if they later left the industry, there would likely be the fear, that their past would come back to haunt them, thus hindering them from turning over a new leaf.

Exchanging sex for money as a result of no other options isn’t a choice, nor is being in a dissociative, drug or alcohol induced state before, during, and after the transaction occurs.

Sex sells, but there are consequences, including societal stipulations because people do not want prostitution on their doorstep. Plus the fact that by many, it is deemed as being beneath them, hence the reason eye contact isn’t made with prostitutes, let alone sustained.

Men and women in the sex industry are people first and foremost; who are often criminalized, judged and ignored, instead of simply being treated with the basic dignity and respect that they deserve.

Global Patterns and Exploitation

Research has shown that in the United States, 90 % of prostitutes were sexually abused in their childhood. Therefore, with numbers that high, this would suggest that prostitution chose them and not the other way around.

For example, in places like the Philippines, many enter prostitution out of financial necessity, earning significantly more than they could in customer service jobs such as waitressing.

Sadly, it is no secret that many western men, better known as "passport bros" travel to parts of Latin America, Asia or Eastern Europe for sex tourism whether with an adult or child, sometimes later going on to to marry them.

Intentionally seeking out a domestic wife from the developing world means that marriage rarely starts on equal footing, when the "rich" Western man, swoops in to "rescue" the damsel in poverty.

Having personally visited the Red Light District in the Philippines and Cambodia, I have spoken to men who have tried in vain to convince me that having sex with a prostitute "helps" the women. I wholeheartedly disagree, because real help comes from providing money or support without the need for sex to be exchanged.

"Help" shouldn't come with conditions or risks such as STD's and unwanted pregnancy, let alone mental, physical and emotional effects.

Understanding the Reality

Often those who speak the loudest and have the strongest, most persuasive arguments for the legalization of prostitution understand absolutely nothing about it. In fact, their lack of knowledge means that they are frequently speaking from a place of complete ignorance, without understanding the history of childhood sexual abuse, vulnerability, and the links with human trafficking and the criminal underworld.

Although knowledge is power, in this instance, it does not come from reading a book, watching a Netflix documentary or walking up to a prostitute and interrogating them. Rather, it comes from immersing oneself into the environment, first by simple observation, followed by building a rapport, and only then after creating a safe space, getting to know the real stories behind the faces of the prostitutes.

In doing so, I've learnt about the "hazards" of the "job" when customers don't wear a condom, don't follow the prostitutes rules or respect their boundaries i.e. of no kissing. Notwithstanding some customers run off without paying, physically assault, abuse, beat, or brutalize the prostitutes', and in some instances, when they discover that she was really a he, this has resulted in the ladyboy's death.

Selling sex for money is not an empowering feminist movement, it is quite simply

exploitation and paid rape, that is not a first choice; but last resort.

After everything you've read, if you still think prostitution is a job, then ask yourself this question:

"Why aren't you doing it?