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Prostitution

Courtesan, call girl, hooker, escort, lady of the evening, whore, working girl… these names are all synonymous for one of the world’s oldest profession—prostitution.

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Submitted by: liz | 12 comments  VIEW COMMENTS


Photographer : Sarchi

There is evidence that prostitution had a place in society as far back as in Ancient Greece, where brothels devoted to the goddess Aprodites Pandemo date from around 600 BC. In Ancient Rome, it was common practice to make prostitutes of foreign slaves and criminals, while in Babylon, Cyprus and Corinth, having sex in exchange for money was a religious ritual performed by all women at some point in their lives.

In fact, the concept of selling sex is not unique to humans. Usually monogamous, Adelle Penguins occasionally have sex with other penguins in exchange for stones for nest building. Bonobo chimpanzees, with which humans share 98.5% of our genetic makeup, are also known to trade sex for food.

Prostitution and society

Prostitution, though generally tolerated, is largely frowned upon by societies for religious, moral or humanitarian reasons. It is a hotly debated issue, especially amongst feminists, who are divided on whether legalising prostitution enforces women’s rights and sexual liberation, or simply reinforces male oppression, by forcing women into degrading situations.

Some women—and in some cases, men and transvestites—choose to prostitute themselves for financial rewards. In Thailand, for example, a woman can make up to 25 times more money as sex worker than as a factory hand. In many cases however, prostitution is not a choice. Throughout the world, men, women and children are forced into prostitution for a number of reasons, including paying for drugs, for protection or as payment for migrating to a new country.

Human trafficking is the term given to the illegal transportation of people. It often leads to forced prostitution where the victims are made to work in order to pay for their voyage, food and accommodation, usually at a rate where the debt can never be repaid. Due to the illegal nature of these migrants, they usually don’t seek help from the police and thus remain enslaved.

Sex workers are at risk of abuse from clients, ‘pimps’ and in some cases, drug dealers. Many are unlikely to seek help from authorities in relation to this abuse, especially if they are engaged in criminal activities or if they live in a place where prostitution is illegal. As a result, sex workers become easy targets for violent crimes.

All sex workers face the danger of contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, herpes and hepatitis C. Infected sex workers may in turn spread these diseases to multiple partners. In order to address these health and safety issues, countries like Australia have legalised prostitution but heavily regulate its practice.

Prostitution and the law

The laws concerning prostitution around the world are many and varied. In some countries prostitution is illegal and all people involved are treated as criminals, while in others, authorities turn a blind eye to the industry. A number of countries recognise that sex workers are often the victims of exploitation, so it is legal to be a prostitute but illegal to be a client or a ‘pimp’.

In Australia, prostitution laws vary from state to state. ‘Street work’, which involves soliciting whilst walking along a street or waiting at a street corner, is illegal in all states except New South Wales. Brothels are legal, providing the owner has a permit from local government, in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania and one-woman brothels are permitted in the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. However, receiving money for prostitution in a brothel is prohibited in South Australia and allowing premises to be used as a brothel is an offence in the Northern Territory. On the other hand, procuring the services of a prostitute is illegal in all states except Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, which only prohibit clients of underage prostitutes.

How do I know this?

Bromberg, S, Feminist issues in prostitution, http://www.feministissues.com/

Prostitution Licensing Authority, Queensland, http://www.pla.qld.gov.au/

Pinto, S, Scandia A & Wilson, Prostitution laws in Australia, http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi22.html

Wikipedia, Prostitution, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution
Discuss Now 12 comments View all 1 2 3

reibey 26-Jul-2008


Hi Liz, good topic. Strangely enough I hadn't considered the impact of an increasing low-SES migrant population on the local sex market.

One thing I have learned is that the sex industry in Australia (and Sydney in particular) had a really united response to the advent of HIV in the eighties and began a strong campaign to promote the use of condoms in sex-work. Since HIV has hung around since then, so has the campaign.

I'm not sure if that was the Scarlet Alliance back then, but I think that's a part of what the Alliance does these days - putting power and choice into the hands of sex workers.

I also havn't heard much about imported migrant sex-workers or sex-slavery within Australia - do you have any info on this?

Sidfg 18-Feb-2008

ok...this is a weird subject but yeah its a prob
but its good in some ways maybe it stops rape?

Student85 23-Jan-2008

I believe unless one has had first hand experience with the sex industry they have no grounds to make judgement.

Yes, let your voice be heard and make an opinion, but please open your eyes!

In Perth, Western Australia, there are AT LEAST 10 brothels / bordellos / parlours and MANY more businesses that provide escort only services which means girls don't work in house.

Of the places I know of, none have under age or girls without work visas, girls are to provide ABN's and health records to work for many of these places.

Regular Punters (men or women who enjoy the company and/or services of working women) prefer reputable places.

There are many reasons why a woman would "sell herself" and many reasons why one would pay for "services" as such and unless one has - as I stated previously - first hand experience with the "sex industry" one should not pass judegement with so much ignorance or arrogance either.

Let us try to be open minded about things.

Human trafficking, slavery, child pornography, or the likes should be clearly segregated from Prostitution. They may be related issues although are completely different.

Kelly Simpson 03-Jan-2008

As a response to "All sex workers face the danger of contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, herpes and hepatitis C. Infected sex workers may in turn spread these diseases to multiple partners.", you could swap the phrase 'sex worker' for 'sexually active Australians' and change the meaning entirely.

I had typical thoughts about sex workers until I went to the Mardi Gras at the start of 2006 and saw a disabled man in a wheelchair holding a placard that said something like 'disabled people deserve sex too'. I think that sex workers fulfil a lot of needs that most of us rather not think about.

I wouldn't do it. But I wouldn't do a lot of things.

adrienne 20-Dec-2007

every year, over one million children are subjected to sexual exploitation in the child sex trade industry. They are kidnapped or can be sold by their families to brothel owners where they have to work on the streets until they can pay off their debts. Children are not only being sexually exploited, but also suffer from physical and pyschological abuse. Sometimes they have no choice but to be prostitutes in order to survive. This atrocity is very much alive in countries such as Nepal, India, Philippines, Cambodia, and parts of Eastern Europe.