Should it be illegal for men to pay for prostitution?

[EatsBrainsAndLeaves]

Should we criminalise all men who pay for prostitution, alongside help for women to leave prostituion?

I don't think that you can take Pretty Woman as an accurate example of their work. I don't think that men could face the truth- that they are despised - it is only the money that talks.

Yes. Let's take the example of a film as reality

ExXoticfruits, even if they're paying, they can only do what the payee will permit. Agreeing to one sexual act doesn't commit you to another, even if you're a prostitute. It's called rape otherwise.

Richard Gere wasn't despised in Pretty Woman - I think she might have married him in the end!

Yes. But they don't have to bother with if it's giving pleasure to the woman. They don't have to think about anything but their own desires.

As far as I'm concerned sex is something people do together. It's not something one person does to the other person.

Exactly - it was a fairy story. Of course paying for one thing doesn't commit you to another but what are they going to do about it? Can they afford to prosecute? And is it more than one word against another?

And you might want to look up the figures on assaults and rapes of prostitutes. Not just those that they reported, but those that come out in surveys. Rape generally is a hugely underreported crime. Women feel that they won't be believed/it won't be proven. How much harder do you think it is for women who have sex for money to get their rape taken seriously by police, the CPS and juries?

I doubt footballers "spit-roasting" girls they pick up in clubs are doing it for the pleasure of the woman.

No.

I know a few working girls who are very happy with what they do. One is also a nurse who does it on the side.

I would never do it myself. But I don't judge anyone who does.

Maybe it would be better to have police liaisons and stuff? With sexual health nurse visitors

What's 'Spit - Roasting'?

Not nice wisdom. A woman being taken from behind whilst sucking a mans penis.

Supposed to look like a pig on a spit.

A man at each "end". Possibly two at one end.

I wouldn't judge the women - many have their reasons. I most certainly judge the men - they are buying another human being and treating them as 'a collection of orifices' as it was crudely, but accurately put.

I think your'e making it up.There was nothing like THAT in Pretty Woman!

Indeed OldLady, so it seems even more extreme that some/many/most (delete as applicable) of them pay for sex. It's not like they don't have many willing partners, who are hardly expecting hearts and flowers.

I'm not sure you should base your opinion of prostitution on Pretty Woman! It's fiction- and very dodgy 'happy-hooker' fiction at that.

Sorry.Was googling 'Spit - Roasting' when mrs Lollygag walked in -has caused a bit of a domestic.Will try to resume posting later.

It is a very old fairy story - there are lots like it. I dare say it actually happens sometimes but it is a tiny, tiny, percentage. It is the old separation of women into madonnas and whores that I object to - it isn't for their DDs but it is perfectly OK for other people's DDs.

Pretty Woman couldn't be further from the truth. It's laughable! It's also like Diary Of A Call Girl either.

Nothing like*

"That's what prostitution is. It's not having to give any consideration to the person you're having sex with because you have bought their body. It's treating women as blow up dolls. The fact that men with lots of willing sexual partners choose to do this shows that it's not about liking sex.'

As in most things for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, thus;

It's not having to give any consideration to the person I'm having sex with because they bought my body. It's treating men as walking cash machines. The fact that women with lots of willing sexual partners choose to charge to do this shows that it's not about liking sex (more about the money).

That's rather nonsensical . Of course it's about the money for women who are prostitutes. It's how they pay their bills. It's nothing to do with sex for them. Do you think the overwhelming majority of women engaged in prostitution would do it if they didn't need the money!!!

There are a good few married couples where one will not really feel like it but wants her new shoes (or his new shoes I suppose in some cases) or whatever. Of course some women in marriage (passim masses of sexless marriage threads on mumsnet) stop having sex and sometimes that is the reason their husband divorces them. So I do think sex is part of a bargain of marriage. Of course we all hope people mutually both want it as much and love each other and ideally both earn about the same and do as many chores at home as the other (which in reality is how most couples now live which is really good news for couples and society).

However I would certainly not render it illegal for a man or woman to pay for sex. Where would you draw your line? There are al ot of girls out there who say they are not prostitutes but they are being given £500 bags etc and I really don't see the difference. Nor do I see the difference with pretty but low paid average soon to be mumsnetter getting off with the manager in her department rather than the impoverished gardener and enjoying the fact Mr Manager pays for meals. He is buying her unless they go 50/50.

As a working girl, of course it's about money, just like anyone else who goes to work for a living. You're not doing it out of kindness.

I pay my tax and NI just like anyone else, just like a great number of working girls, so anyone who is against prostitution needs to bear in mind that a proportion of tax raised is through this industry.

So many posters have the opinion that working girls are all down trodden, sexually abused drug addicts when for a great majority that simply isn't the case.

Of course if you like sex it helps, not to mention the fact that it's not just sex men pay us for. It is the intimacy, a chance to chat, get stuff off their chests, a lot of my clients do not actually have full sex during a booking.

If people truely want a balanced answer to the question then you would need to ask a broad spectrum of prossies for their opinion on the matter and be PREPARED TO TAKE ON BOARD WHAT THEY SAY.

During this thread it is clear that arguments have been offered for those who work and use the sex industry, as well as those who claim it is exploitative and based on abuse. This thread has demonstrated that very few will change sides, and it seems no common ground of any value can be achieved. Given that the status quo is what those against want to change, which means either changing peoples minds or mobalise far, far larger numbers than you have been able to do already. Or simply imposing legal and social restraints on the public at large, how are YOU going to move the argument on. As I said the status quo is that prostitution will continue in much the same way as is.