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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Advice on DH using prostitutes and sex

367 replies

oldaninpurple · 11/03/2012 00:41

Ok. I'll try to be brief as I could do without being outed in RL. Really great relationship, 2 young DC's. DH has expressed frustration that our sex life is perhaps not as exciting as it used to be.

Our children are potentially likely to come toddling across the landing and I find it hard to relax and get into anything 'indepth' and do get a bit nervous about the noise. DH is very noisy! I'm still doing a night feed with the littlest one but thought we were doing ok intimacy wise but it seems I was wrong :(

I've recently found out DH has been using prostitutes. Definately once in the past month but I reckon it must be more.. What do I do? I haven't said or done anything yet.

I'm a bit in shock, I almost convinced myself to book a hotel and whisk him off to recapture our earlier years but WTF? He's paying another woman to.. Well, just well! Could you\would you forgive? Apart from an obvious STI check :( what would you do?

Thanks.

OP posts:
carmenelectra · 11/03/2012 19:18

wobbly
Disagree massively.in my book a prostitute is waay worse.

Good people do have affairs. Boundaries get crossed and things happen. Not saying its okay, but mistakes happen.

Deliberately booking, after seeking out a specific type of woman or one that wi do a particular sex act is no accident. And doing it knowing that you have children and a wife that will be devastated is truly awful.

Much much worse than slipping into an affair with a woman you know from workor adrunken one night stand. This is something pre arranged planned and thought out. No mistake.

AnyFucker · 11/03/2012 19:21

So sorry, OP. I agree with all that hatty said

This man does not respect women, and he doesn't respect you

Would you really want to stay married to such a person ?

MadAboutHotChoc · 11/03/2012 19:28

You say he is not controlling - then why are your finances seperate? Why is he not open about his finances? He also seems to have control of family money in order to fund his prostitute habit.

Abitwobby - I disagree totally with you and would say that buying sex and using women in this way is far worse than having an affair with a willing partner. If my H had used one instead of shagging his OW, there is no way I could come back from this.

ThatVikRinA22 · 11/03/2012 19:30

Have you anyone you can talk this through with in RL op? i realise that making it 'real' is a scary prospect, but it is already real - now you have to work out a way of dealing with it.

for me, as others, it would be a deal breaker, knowing my DH had the capacity to use people in this way would be enough and id struggle to be in the same room.

I think you need some practical advice, especially given that he holds all the financial cards.

I would begin to make plans and take steps to find out what the options are practically. Most solicitors (i know - another scary prospect) do 30mins free advice - i would start to make some enquiries about what would happen should you leave him.

I realise talking or making practical steps would make it real for you and at the moment it must seem so tempting to say nothing, and make it go away - but i cant see how it ever would.

im so sorry.

fiventhree · 11/03/2012 19:43

Madabout and Hatty, I think you are right here.

I would have hated it if my h had had an affair, because of the emotional involvement.

At first, I thought it was not as bad that he was internet sex chatting.

However, once you get over the shock you start to think it is worse, because if a 50 year old bloke can inquire about the sexual past of women younger than his daughter (and still be shocked at the idea of a man his age doing that to HIS daughters), then what does that tell you about his state of mind, and real attitudes to women? And all the time telling his own wife (complaining about a sexless marriage) that to sleep with anyone else would be a deal breaker.

Despite what he says about his sexual politics.

OP, I think that as soon as you feel less shocked and able to, you should look for more evidence quite thoroughly, and agree get an STD test.

And work out a very careful confrontation strategy, as someone said above, saying less than you know, as you will you see that he will lie.

From my won experience and everything I have read on this board, they almost always lie, and for as long as they can.

And everyone says, sadly, that they would never have suspected it. I wouldnt have, either.

larrygrylls · 11/03/2012 19:46

OP,

I think this should be about how you feel about his sexual infidelity, and not about gender politics. It is not for you to take responsibility for womankind and not all prostitutes are "prostituted women" as some like to say.

Men do not "need" sex like dogs and he has broken his wedding vows. There is no excuse for this and none of it is your fault. However, in my view it probably was "just sex" for him and does not mean he does not love or respect you. I am sure he does if he has always been kind and respectful to you and your children.

Personally, I think this is more a reason to give him a good bollocking and make him know that it can never happen again with you staying married. I am, frankly, amazed at the number of people who feel that one incidence of casual infidelity is a deal breaker in an otherwise good marriage with two children, who will undoubtedly suffer were you to split up.

PooPooInMyToes · 11/03/2012 19:48

I completely agree cardgames about how there is always so little talk regarding women's need to have a faithful husband who doesn't visit prostitutes.

Nyac · 11/03/2012 19:49

But Larry, marriage vows state fidelity. It's central to the marriage contract.

Infidelity is grounds for divorce. It was grounds long before divorce was easy to get.

If you don't have trust in a relationship what do you have?

larrygrylls · 11/03/2012 19:52

Nyac,

Agreed. That is why there is no reasonable excuse and the OP has every right to seek a divorce. The question is whether the OP actually wants that to happen. If she does not, I don't feel that she should be guilted into it.

TBE · 11/03/2012 19:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AKissIsNotAContract · 11/03/2012 19:54

Larry: it's the first time he's been caught. It's highly unlikely to be the first time he's visited a prostitute.

onelittlefish · 11/03/2012 20:02

OP, I am going to ignore what most people have said give you my honest view - which will be controversial for most people.

When it comes to infidelity, I can only see that there are two issues involved: the physical act; and the emotional involvement - when a person has used a prostitute there is clearly no emotional involvement and it is only about the physical act and how you feel about the physical infidelity.

Personally, if it was me, I would look at my own relationship and how I valued it; and also the impact of a divorce on my children. I would try to work it out - maybe with counselling and whatever else I needed to do - because I love my DH and he treats me with respect and I want our relationship to work.

Most people extol the virtues of trust in a relationship but forgiveness is also important. However, I am not advocating blind and constant forgiveness - forgive but don't forget what he has put you through and if he does it again you are well within your rights to leave him (knowing that you have done what you can to make things right).

The5thFishy · 11/03/2012 20:19

Did I just fall in a space time vortex and end up in 1951?

CardgamesFTW · 11/03/2012 20:24

"forgive but don't forget what he has put you through and if he does it again you are well within your rights to leave him (knowing that you have done what you can to make things right)."

Or, after this dealbreaker, you could just spare yourself that constant stress and distrust and get rid of him now.

MadAboutHotChoc · 11/03/2012 20:29

onelittlefish - but what about the fact that this man has very warped ideas about women and that he thinks its ok to buy vulnerable people in this way?!

Men who use prostitutes do NOT respect or love their wives and dc - they are putting their health and wellbeing at risk Sad

garlicbutter · 11/03/2012 20:30

OLF, that's utter bollocks imo. Firstly, this 'only' physical act involves inserting parts of his body into another human being's body. It's only impersonal if you are willing to see a prostitute as a non-person. If you're able to do that, then there is very much of an issue with your humanity, particularly in relation to women and sex.

It's quite usual for punters to talk with prostitutes, have a 'relationship' real or false, and share their secrets. That's decidedly not impersonal.

What, exactly, should OP 'try her best' at? Not minding that her husband paid to fuck a stranger, taking the blame for his deceitfulness, pretending it never happened or taking on the role of watchful parent to her own husband?

She's in enough of a pickle already, without attempting gymnastic feats of self-delusion.

LittleAlbert · 11/03/2012 20:32

Op - don't settle for this. You deserve more.

ThatVikRinA22 · 11/03/2012 20:35

could anyone live with their DH using prostitutes? really? because as far as i can see its never just a one off, and that is what it would take to continue in a marriage where one partner goes and pays for sex. I personally could not live with the permanent feeling of distrust that it would engender, apart from anything else. The OPs DH has done all of this in secret. It wont be the first time and it probably, in all honesty, wouldnt be the last.

ThatVikRinA22 · 11/03/2012 20:36

well said garlic.

Malificence · 11/03/2012 20:38

Why is a betrayed woman accused of potentially "throwing away" a marriage and hurting her children when it is the man who has brought about the situation in the first place???? Confused The responsibility is his alone, he has chosen to do this and he has jeapordised the security of his childrens' lives.

One single incidence of infidelity by my husband would see me ending our 27 year marriage because I view fidelity as essential in marriage, but if he paid for sex I would never want to set eyes on him again, a man who could do that has no place in my life.
A man who is able to pay for sex and cheat on his wife does not respect her or love her, he can't possibly. If he believes that he does, he is missing a central part of his humanity and isn't even capable of real love.

Why would anyone want to save a marriage with a man like that?

LittleAlbert · 11/03/2012 20:40

I would lose all respect for DP. I couldn't have a relationship with him.

AnyFucker · 11/03/2012 20:40

so people are advocating now that you could forgive because what he did was "impersonal"

really ?

you do realise that you are implying that the person he did it with is a non-person, don't you ?

is that the kind of "person" you are ?

AnyFucker · 11/03/2012 20:41

ah, cross posted with gb

I agree with her

Hattytown · 11/03/2012 20:42

oldanin none of what you said in your last post surprises me.

It's not that he forgets/doesnt know how to out oil in the car or recall a password, it's that he knows that someone else will do these things for him. If he's 'disorganised and not together' then there has probably always been a woman who will do it for him - his mother, past girlfriends, women he works with.

It's also not unusual for someone who is used to being manipulated not to feel controlled by the person doing it. I bet you've spent the entire relationship telling everyone that he's got a brilliant mind but no common sense....in a kind of 'bless him' infantilising way. The script you've had about your husband as a brilliant but kind little boy who needs mundane things taken care of in order to get on with higher order activities was false. But that script always is false.

He's an adult, but he's got used to getting other people (usually women) doing things for him. If one won't, he can afford to pay another who will. He feels entitled to pleasure and comfort.

Ignore the sexual politics about this at your peril and please resist any pressure from others trying to guilt you into forgiving this for the sake of your marriage and children. That onus was on him, not you. You didn't do anything wrong here. If your marriage ends, it will be his fault.

'One act of infidelity' is also entirely different to 'one booking with a prostitute'. The only thing they have in common is that they are usually both lies about the number of occasions the infidelity has happened.

garlicbutter · 11/03/2012 21:22

What a brilliant post, Hatty. OP, this must be so hard to read. Please do find your real-life supporters - and remember to eat, wash & sleep! Thinking of you.

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