In recent years, “sex worker” has become the preferred term for prostitutes. The term “sex work” was coined by activist and sex worker Carol Leigh in the ’70s. Sex work isn’t just prostitution; it includes all forms of paid sexual encounters, including, but not limited to porn videos, phone sex operators, escorts, exotic or lap dancers, and strippers. It’s not uncommon for people to engage in sex work to pay for education costs or for extra spending money.
Prostitution is often called the “world’s oldest profession.” Though that’s probably an exaggeration, it has been around for a long time, at least since the ancient Babylonian and Sumerian civilizations.
One of the earliest documented types of sex work was sacred prostitution–having sex with someone other than a spouse for religious purposes. Sacred prostitutes were sometimes called temple prostitutes because they performed their rituals in temples. Sacred prostitution has taken a variety of forms, but in Babylon, ancient historians report that each woman was expected to go to the temple of Aphrodite once in her lifetime to engage in sex with a foreigner as a sign of hospitality.
Prostitution is a global phenomenon: Both male and female sex workers live in every part of the world and on every continent. In the vast majority of countries prostitution is illegal, but some countries have legalized sex work under certain conditions. In Hong Kong, for example, prostitutes are permitted to work only in their homes and not in brothels. In Amsterdam prostitution is legal, but prostitutes must be licensed by the city council.
LEGALITY IN THE U.S.:
Prostitution is currently illegal in the entire U.S. with one exception: It is legal in 10 of Nevada’s 17 counties. Most states made it illegal between the years 1910 and 1915.
Statistics on the number of sex workers are in general hard to obtain because many work in secrecy or avoid questions for fear of arrest or violence. In India, estimates range anywhere from 2 to 8 million. In the U.S., outdated stats indicate that over one million people have worked as prostitutes at some time in their lives.
A pimp is defined by most U.S. state laws as anyone who takes a cut of a prostitute’s earnings. At times, they offer protection and other services to a sex worker . Just like pimps, madams are individuals who operate brothels or escort services, and take a portion of a sex worker’s earnings as their own personal income. Contrary to popular belief, pimps are not always men and madams are not always women.
…and there you go!
