Should prostitution be legalised

well there might be some- as you say. But having a sugar daddy still puts a woman in a truly inferior position (no pun intended) and not have control over their lives. And some of the ones happy with their lot are obsessed with luxury possessions - cars, jewellery, etc. What example does it give to other young people. Why work hard, study- just sell yourself and you will make loads of dosh!?

I'd truly rather send my son to the local school rather than get someone pay for school fees for me.

I'd still wager, that this is a small %, many are coerced into it, due to drugs, debts and a really bad childhood- and can't get out. Many are enticed here, being told they will get a great job and a great future- passports taken away, threatened and abused on day to day basis. The fact a few seem happy with their lot, does not matter in the great scale of things.

Lol Alea.

I know someone who is a stripper.
She is a hairdresser by day. Mine.
She has gone into stripping now as well because she earns £750 per night doing it. And wants to save up for a deposit for a house quicker.

a HUGE difference between stripping and prostitution, though- no?

Yes. But I am sure there are similarities.

At least in the first instance if not later on.

nelliemoser thanks for the interesting and awful informed. Oh dear. Again. What is it with men?! How can we help these poor girls of all backgrounds?

Which? (not arguing here, as usual, just discussing) - in stripping there is no touching, no body fluids, etc, no smell, no intimacy, no 'imposition'.

My previous point holds- the debasing of good honest hard and much more poorly paid work- which must be very tempting to some- as your haridresser has rightly noticed.

Information -problem with predictive txt

The reasons people get into it granjura. She started off wanting to be a model so used to pose in fairly skimpy clothes to get noticed I presume. She wants money quicker than hairdressing.

She wants money quicker than hairdressing?
Is this like a cryptic crossword. Am I the only one confused.

Elayne are you a gran?

According to Elayne's profile she is 57 and has 3 grandchildren.
(Glad to see there is no ageism in the "oldest" profession.)

Why does having a sugar daddy put a woman in an inferior position? If she's sensible and stashes away as much as possible then she's setting herself up for a comfortable future. If anything the man is in the inferior position because he pays for everything.

I accept that having enough money to live a reasonably comfortable life without too much worry about debt is important. Beyond that, though, I feel this idea that the pursuit of money should take precedence over everything else is pretty depressing.

If a person feels that, because of their dire financial situation, they have no option but to charge for sex then I think that isn't exactly a free choice. That is very different from someone charging for sex in order to pay for school fees - very strange priorities I think. I wonder if such a person would disclose their occupation to their child or encourage that child to follow suit - I think probably not.

No doubt it suits would-be clients to imagine that the women and men that "service" them do so entirely willingly and with great enthusiasm. Various studies have shown otherwise. It is well known that people who have been sexually abused as children often exhibit overly sexualised behaviour and frequently become targets for sexual predators - just a short step from being drawn into the sex industry.

Good post eloethan

Can't be paying that well if you are still at it at 57. Still I admire your energy Elayne

There used to be a prostitute who lived a few houses away. She had just a handful of discreet clients - no more than one a night. One was a soldier. They visited her, parking a little way away, and caused no bother. She lived on the money she earned, and used to do the most beautiful tapestries on quiet days. She had kids and they were all well brought up.

I could not imagine why anyone would object to her work: most men need sex, not all men have a partner, and she therefore fulfilled a need. I suspect she was discreet enough for the kids not to know what was going on.

It should not be a crime, but sex workers should have really good protections under law. Pimps and drugs are the dark side of course, but some manage the life without them.

I couldn't do it though!!

Great post Eloethan. Vampire Queen, because the woman becomes 'his possession' and at his beck and call, when HE wants, as HE wants- I can imagine very few women paid in such a way by a 'sugar daddy' can say 'not tonight thanks' I want to be with the grandchildren, and not 'that' I really don't like it and it feels uncomfortable, etc. I agree it is not very different from trophy wives like Donald Trump's though- she gets paid in a different way.

There is no difference in prostitution, marrying for money, stripping, being a glamour model, it's making money from your body

if you legalise prostitution, where do you draw the line regarding age, "practices", wages/taxation (VAT?) health, openness f access and so on? It's not all "Pretty Woman".
A century, even less, ago, pubs were no-go areas for women and children, hard drinking was a major problem particularly among the poorest of society, so it was decided that by making pubs less forbidding and more "civilised" places, drinking might become more social. And it did, up to a point. Now with unrestricted licensing hours, binge drinking and the attendant policing and health related issues seems to be back, albeit by a different social group.
Legalising soft drugs is said to take control away from the dealers, save police time and make it less likely that drugs will be impure. Does that mean we are saying drugs are not harmful?
Legalised brothels would give prostitutes protection from pimps, protection from violence and regular health checks would benefit providers and users. But are we then saying "this is fine" to make £750 a night for a physical transaction? Are we denying that the sex trade is harmful to girls and women?
So I don't know the answer to my questions, but I will never be able to say I am ambivalent about binge drinking, drug use/abuse or prostitution.

Exactly Alea. So what do you say when your grand-daughter, or your grand-son for that matter tells you 'Gran don't be daft, I am not going to study or get a degree, or work my heart out doing a 'proper' job- because I can earn 750+ for a couple of hours 'work' by prostituting myself.

We often talk about ageism here, quite rightly- what happens to a prostitue who makes a lot of money when she is young (ish) when she gets old?

And if you wouldn't want your daughter/ granddaughter to be a prostitute/ stripper/ do glamour modelling why is it ok for anyone else's daughter/ granddaughter?

"Regular health checks" could be a problem area. If brothels were legal businesses, regular health checks to ensure "quality" of service would have to be compulsory. how would that be administered and checked on?

A current certificate for each girl on every bedroom wall? A law requiring them to present themselves at regular intervals for inspection? That would make nonsense of medical freedom. Would those without certificates be sacked to work outside the protection of the house?

The The Contagious Diseases Acts of 1864, 1866, and 1869 show what could happen to "fallen women" in Victorian England.

I would (seriously) be interested to hear Elayne's side of the argument, whether or not she feels a fair picture has been painted and, as she refers to a DD, whether she would be happy for her DD to pursue the same trade. (I refuse to call it a "profession"!!)

Whether we like it or not, prostitution will continue. It is like abortion - few of us like the idea, but making it illegal doesn't stop it - it just makes it more dangerous for the woman.

As for the health aspect: both prostitutes and their clients know that condoms are essential, but you can't legislate against stupidity - it they are too daft to use them, the risk is their own responsibility.

There is also the real danger of violent clients, but the danger must be far less if the prostitute can work in a legal and safe environment.

Of course none of us want any of our own families to be involved in that life, but we have no say in these matters.

I guess my attitude is 'live and let live'.