Why did there have to be an asterisk in place of the 'e' in sex?

Sex, sex, sex, sex.

We are all here as a result of it. Why the prudish title?

Sex workers, female and male both receive the same rates - and yes, the rates should be expensive. Prostitution is the only work among the 'caring careers' (nursing, aged-care workers etc) that receives the kind of income that is fair reward for the work done. Although only in well-run non-exploitative type brothels. Street work, although it provides independence for the worker, is very dangerous. Escort work requires a really good 'minder' who is not a pimp, and pays the best rates - again deservedly so. As with athletes, the 'career' only has a short viability.

Very poor analogy with dentists. Also author focusses on female prostitutes, never mentions male workers. True, male workers mostly service male clients, however, there is a small but significant proportion of female clients.

Finally, I am left wondering what was the point of this article? That sex-work pays well but only for a short time? Well, duh?!

If the author had desired to deal with a real issue, he could've discussed the illegal trade in young women and boys from poor nations who are used and abused. Now there's a problem that needs solving.

How about an article on societal inequities that results in people's bodies being bought and sold like cattle?

Gees Andrew, this is a very disappointing article; especially from a lawyer. (You would be torn to shreds in a court room).

I am confused by the point of the article. The article seriously undervalues the subject and the implications to persons and to our society that prostitution brings with it.

Prostitution is an abuse to the person of woman and to the collective of women in our society and I believe should never be defended or appear to be defended, (something your shallow article achieves).

Sorry Andrew, try again.

One under God
Better to defend the moral argument against prostitution I think, from the point of view of Christian defence of society and soul; not as you did by aligning Christ with prostitutes.

Goldman bankers behaving badly #2 … “A millionaire banker offered an escort girl £500,000 to leave her pensioner husband, a court has heard. Yann Samuelides, 35, a managing director of Goldman Sachs, became so infatuated with the Slovakian escort girl that he wanted to make her his wife. And being a money man, he calculated that 28-year-old Alzbeta Holmokova was worth £500,000 … Denis Morley, a 67-year-old retired businessman, told the court the banker had showered his young wife with gifts after becoming her client. He had even rented a luxurious flat for her before offering his £500,000 marriage proposal, he said. 'He bribed her to leave me,' he said … Holmokova filed for divorce from her husband in February this year, citing his unreasonable behaviour. She is understood not to have asked for any financial settlement. Morley, who is contesting the divorce petition, has allegedly admitted once threatening to kill Samuelides … Morley, from Coventry, married Miss Holmokova in 2002 at Coventry Registry Office when she was 21 … Samuelides was appointed a managing director at Goldman Sachs, one of the world's oldest and largest investment banking firms, in December 2007 … A spokesman for the firm last night refused to comment on the divorce case.” (Daily Mail, London, September 8)

The author doesn't say how he defines prostitution, and in particular how he distinguishes prostitution from heterosexual relations in which the woman agrees to provide a sexual service or favour for a valuable consideration from the man. Put in this way, we see that the woman requiring some kind of valuable consideration is a very common aspect of heterosexuality in general.

For example, the existence of prostitution shows that, circumstances permitting, many if not most men are ready to have casual sexual encounters with young women on only seconds' acquaintance, which we all know anyway. But I once read a study that said that (ie in the absence of sufficient cash payment), heterosexual couples on first intercourse took 12 to 16 prior meetings and spoke 1,000,000 words. That is obviously to satisfy the women's pre-requisites, and can be thought of as valuable non-cash consideration from the man.

It's like that story about Winston Churchill and Lady Astor:
C: "Lady Astor, would you have sex with me if I gave you a million pounds?"
A: "Why Sir Winston I believe I would."
C: "Well would you have sex with me if I gave you one pound?"
A: "Oh! Sir Winston! What kind of woman do you think I am?"
C: "We've already established that, what we're haggling over now is the price."

In marriage, the time and money are at large and the woman participates in the man's income and equity, while in brothel prostitution, both the time and money are limited.

It would be interesting to compare the per-sex act monetary return to the woman in marriage over the life of the marriage, with that in prostitution. Maybe then we will learn why prostitutes are called 'cheap' even when their wages are ten times those of other women generally.

All the arguments about the supposed "violence" of consensual relations in prostitution assume that the protagonist knows what's better for people, than people. The arguments apply equally to any kind of employment. Mine certainly feels like slavery, perhaps it could be banned too.

Times have changed and the career of a prostitute is probably longer than that of many workers.

Because they are contractors and private entrepreneurs, it is worth comparing apples with apples and in that case one would be forced to admit that prostitutes have considerable advantage over small business or private entrepreneurs, where failure of the business is highly likely and the monetary loss can be crippling. The $ investment by a prostitute is low and her success rate is high. The cost of maintaining assets is low. Government regulation is simple and easily complied with. The prostitute will do better with a more comply body, better communication and sex skills, but few are disqualified by not meeting some or all of those criteria.

The income of prostitutes depends on limited supply, which in turn depends on Victorian sexual attitudes in the community. The sexual wowserism of churches and feminists (although the feminists focus only on hetersexuality) is actually good for the business of prostitution, through artificially limiting supply. Guilt and restrictions are big business.

It is reasonable to expect continued growth in the demand from women for escort services. Women's overseas sex tours are in demand.

More liberal attitudes to sex, or at least the freedom to discuss it more openly, can only reduce the incidence of prostitution although there will always be a demand. Best of all, more openness about sex and legalising of sex workers limit the involvement of organised crime.

Peter Hume

A digression from the discussion ... But what always intrigues me about those alleged exchanges between Winston Churchill and Lady Astor is that, although Lady Astor was a quick-thinking and renowned wit, it's Churchill who is always given the upper hand.

I'd say that these undocumented exchanges were a system of anecdotes invented for the cultural purpose of trivialising the political contribution of Westminster's first ever female MP - to alleviate the very well-documented femophobic fears of the British male establishment.

Cornflower

'The sexual wowserism of churches and feminists (although the feminists focus only on hetersexuality)...'

We can always rely on you to peddle all the usual myths about feminism. Feminist attitudes to prostitution focus on pragmatic issues of safety and exploitation and cultural issues of gender power. The sexual morality of prostitution may be an issue for some feminists - as it is for many in the non-feminist population. However, feminism has no official or unofficial policy on the subject.

For anyone interested in following up on the general feminist view on prostitution, especially sex worker safety, this one from Hoyden About Town is quite comprehensive.

http://hoydenabouttown.com/20080407.1544/prostitution-regulation-exploitation-and-death/