On Prostitution

There is a significant number of women choose prostitution out of their very own free will and even take pride in their profession. Although I am primarily referring to female prostitution, you will find that the bottomline and most arguments apply to both female as well as male prostitutes. Personally, I have never requested the professional services of a prostitute.


Most people see hooking as a form of sexual slavery, others, as a route to sexual self-determination. And in between are those who simply see prostitution as a form of work that, like it or not, is here to stay.

Although prostitution in some form or another, has existed in every culture throughout history, it hasn't always been tolerated from a legal or a moral perspective. Prostitution has been criminalized, repressed, and fought against in many different societies for many different reasons. Other cultures not only tolerated prostitution but even embraced it as a legit profession serving an important function in their society. Many modern and postmodern societies, religious based and even some of our western liberal or "free" societies, tend to view prostitution as immoral or "dirty".

And it very well can be. Sex slave trade for example, has flourished immensely in the last few decades and there are many women who are forced into prostitution against their own free will. Women who are dependent on social and economical circumstances, e.g. drug addicts or women who just happened to be born in the wrong culture such as some third world countries, are forced into prostitution for the financial or other gain of a third person party. This form of prostitution is abhorring, and immoral by just about any democratic cultures ethics.

However, this form of prostitution is not what Im talking about. I am talking about those who choose prostitution out their own free will. Not all are the victims or immoral whores that religious fundamentalists and radical feminists want to make us believe. Debates about prostitution are often discussed as purely feminist issues or as the concern of religious citizens that want to clean up their communities from the "infection" of criminal elements, often overlooking the individual.

The voices of feminists and religious fundamentalist, although on different sides, to me often sound the same as their counterparts. They argue that prostitution exploits women and reinforces their status as sexual objects, undoing many of the gains women have made over the past century. Moderated people argue that it spreads disease and that it encourages the spread of vice and crime. Most religious fanatics simply argue that it is contrary to God's will, and is morally wrong. Both sides have their arguments, none of which I find valid. I still have to find a valid argument why voluntary prostitution is immoral or even criminal. None of the named reasons generally work very well as arguments for judging prostitution.
Most prostitutes that choose their profession out of their own free will and take pride in what they do. They see themselves not merely as sex workers but take their job further by offering genuine companionship to those who would otherwise never be able to experience the ultimate connection with another human being. Many men seeking out a prostitute, seek companionship, which may or may not include sex with intercourse.

The most prominent argument from feminists is that prostitution objectifies women and that women are enslaved by the hormone driven, drooling-for-sex monster, man. I detect in such an attitude a condescending belief that prostitutes don't know what they're doing and need somebody with more education to protect them. Other arguments against prostitution are that prostitutes are victims which have no self-esteem, degrade all women, and need to be forcefully removed from their circumstances. The very notion is a violation of one of the most basic human rights: the right for self determination. And when one applies these arguments to male prostitutes, and if one treats men and women as intellectual equals, then the arguments contradict the very essence of feminism. All these arguments I find, propagate patriarchal and antifeminist values, contrary to their claims.

All throughout history, various cultures have both embraced as well as harshly judged the oldest profession in the world. Historically, the priestesses of ancient Mesopotamia offered their services to pilgrims that came to worship at the temple. They performed rituals of burning incense, singing hymns, and participating in the sexual rites of the temple. It was seen as a part of an act of a fertility rite, life-giving in terms of sexual passion but also of birth as well as in a nurturing way. It played an important role in it's culture and like any priest, they accepted offerings in return.

Of course prostitution can many ugly faces to it. How could anyone working in any given profession which is not regulated by democratic laws not be abused?? But branding a prostitute's profession as wrong, immoral or even worse as criminal, only isolates a prostitute from society and leaves her (or him) vulnerable to the exploitation of third parties, let's call 'em pimps. Our society imposes itself as an extra obstacle, another threat driving those who become prostitutes out of need and/or against their free will, even further into isolation.

Sure, one might argue that when a prostitute reports that while working as a prostitute she was beaten, was addicted to drugs and was defrauded by clients, she is in fact being exploited and mistreated. But those arguments do not desccribe prostitution, but describe domestic violence, drug addiction, and labor violations. There are many jobs in which women are exploited. When a woman working at e.g., a fast food restaurant is slapped by a supervisor for spilling a drink, is being underpaid, or laid off work for becoming pregnant, do you see anyone pointing fingers at the fast food profession? Hello?!

So lets face it, prostitutes are branded immoral by society and labeled criminal by law, not by their profession. Prostitutes as well as men seeking their services are being judged. When money is exchanged for sex it degrades both parties. Women are labeled immoral and even criminal, men are stigmatized as the hormone driven, sex hungry, drooling monster. Sure there are those that fit this scheme, just as with any other stereotype. But if you look a little closer, its not just the mere physical act that many are looking for, but to actually connect with another human on a mental as well as on a physical level. But the stigmatic label that men are given by radical feminists and disappointed women, for the most part, does us injustice.

Not sharing any form of physical relationship with someone else is, simply put, unhealthy. Studies show, that having regular sex reduces the risk of heart disease and can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by 50 percent. Individuals who have sex show 30 percent higher levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A, which boosts the immune system. Sex boosts production of testosterone, which leads to stronger bones and muscles. Immediately before orgasm, levels of the hormone oxytocin surge to five times their normal level. This in turn releases endorphins, which alleviate the pain of everything from headache to arthritis to even migraine. In women, sex also prompts production of estrogen, which can reduce the pain of PMS. Ever heard of Kegel exercises? You do them, men and women alike, whether you know it or not, every time you stem your flow of urine. The same set of muscles is worked during sex. There are many more benefits and not all are limited to the physical part of the body.

Bottomline: What a prostitute offers goes far beyond the physical act of sex.

Recognition by society aside, some European governments lead by the liberal Netherlands, have already legalized prostitution to the point that whores (and I am using the term deliberately) not only pay tax on their income but also receive health benefits, social security, unemployment as well as retirement plans.

The government acting as a pimp? Democratic governments are obligated to protect the individual from third-party threats, but do they have the mandate or the right to decide how to protect the individual from itself (if in fact such protection is needed)? Any time a lucrative industry for business is illegal, it attracts organized crime and has potential to cause huge law enforcement problems. This happened in the US during Prohibition and we see it today in connection with illegal drugs. Prostitutes as well as drug addicts are appointed criminals because the law say so. The fact that some European governments have not only legalized the oldest profession in the world, but have actually acknowledged it as a legitimate job, is not so much admitting defeat of the inevitable, but taking responsibility to protect the individual from being used, abused and exploited by a second or third party.

What prostitutes need, is not a bunch of do-gooders looking down on them, but decent working conditions, as well as respect and acknowledgement from society.