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Original poster

1 in 7 men in UK admits to having used a prostitute

100 replies

EatsBrainsAndLeaves · 31/08/2012 12:15

I was taken aback to read this survey in which 1 in 7 men admits to having used a prostitute. That means I and all of us, must know men who have paid prostitutes.Does anyone else find that shocking?

www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/oct/20/trafficking-numbers

OP posts:
madwomanintheattic · 31/08/2012 15:55

I'd need to see how they collected the data to muse on whether I think it's accurate, tbh.

Even in my former work capacity where use of prostitutes was a known, (and not particularly frowned upon), the numbers weren't that high. And this was youngish blokes filled to the brim with booze, overseas, with disposable income and bravado.

I suspect there are probably some fairly significant flaws in the research.

That's not to say that one is too many.

greenhill · 31/08/2012 16:06

I'd like to know what the sample size for this extrapolation was based on. As 1 in 7 seems very high.
When I lived in London there was visible prostitution, as well as the usual ads in local papers, massage parlours, saunas and some areas were no-go's but would then be targeted by the Police, so the problem shifted to another area temporarily. This was over 10 years ago though.

I wonder if this seemingly high number is a reflection of higher levels of drug abuse by the women and/ or more trafficking.

Original poster
EatsBrainsAndLeaves · 31/08/2012 17:47

There are links - go and look at it. But the reality is there have been many studies. They all come up with different numbers ranging from 8-15% of all men in the UK. But that is a lot of men, no matter which way you look at it.

OP posts:
Original poster
EatsBrainsAndLeaves · 31/08/2012 17:49

I also read some research, I think it was in the US? saying that certainly there, middle class men are more likely to use prostitutes than working class men. Which financially and in terms of travel - business or leisure without a female partner - makes sense.

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exoticfruits · 31/08/2012 17:49

It has to be a lot of men otherwise there wouldn't be so many prostitutes.

madwomanintheattic · 31/08/2012 18:25

Lol, exotic, or fewer men putting it about more. Grin

I'd put the blokes I know in a high user demographic, and I'd struggle with 1in 7, I think. Could be wrong.

Was at a conference with a researcher from Aberdeen - I'm pretty sure she was using different stats, but I don't know if I've still got the refs... But I'll dig out the Home Office stuff and have a look. Their methodology should be pretty watertight, but a lot depends on what they are trying to prove...

I'm not shocked, I don't think. I just think it's probably high.

madwomanintheattic · 31/08/2012 20:11

Interesting, but of the 181 research projects included to produce that, a lot are rated as 'low quality' research by the writers, and most of the survey respondents are working prostitutes or people arrested for kerb crawling/ use of prostitution related offences. The writers themselves note the inherent impossibility of getting a real picture of prostitute use, or rationale, but I can't see any research which uses random sampling - a lot is convenience, by the nature of the interest. Impossible to use to quantify a '1 in whatever' for the general population. Some of the studies are based on one participant. Grin 100% there.Grin

That said, I'm not trying to minimize the issue - as I said up thread, even one is too many. But I loathe sensationalist statistical headlines.

PlentyOfPubeGardens · 31/08/2012 21:31

I would have thought it less exploitative to visit a prostitute in Britain

No because rape is always abusive and even if in the UK there are a teeny tiny higher percentage of truly consenting women, you never know that you've found one of them so you really must not give a shit about abusing women to make the transaction in the first place.

Original poster
EatsBrainsAndLeaves · 31/08/2012 23:08

The surveys I quote ask men if they have ever used a prostitute. Ecclesvet, the survey you quote is about whether they have used a prostitute in the last 5 years. So both surveys may be accurate. And of course surveys will under report, as some men who use prostitutes will deny it. Although 4 % is still pretty high.

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hedidit · 01/09/2012 07:59

statistics are totally pointless, they only show the figures for the area the research covered. As one poster already stated, unless every man and woman in the uk was interviewed and gave and HONEST answer there is no way to even guestimate the number of women who have been prostitutes at one time or another or the number of men who have enjoyed their services...a guestimate is all there will ever be although personally I think the number is higher than anyone would guess

hedidit · 01/09/2012 08:01

If a woman of 18 or over agrees to have sex with a man in exchange for services, gifts or cash its not rape. Prostitution is a legal profession for which the tax man will happily put you down for to receive taxes.

DaniCalifornia · 01/09/2012 08:17

Prostitution is rape: rmott62.wordpress.com/2012/08/29/staring-into-hell/

That blog has a massive trigger warning but people need to start reading this material and stop pretending that raping women's bodies for cash is normal behaviour.

hedidit · 01/09/2012 14:16

Oh for crying out loud!!! One woman's experience of prostitution is just that ONE womans. To say all prostitution is rape is utter tosh as every woman's experience is different . Open your eyes

hedidit · 01/09/2012 14:29

I will post some blog links for you later, to give you a clearer picture

SardineQueen · 01/09/2012 22:13

"the number of women who have been prostitutes at one time or another or the number of men who have enjoyed their services."

"Enjoyed" their services, eh? I see.

"If a woman of 18 or over agrees to have sex with a man in exchange for services, gifts or cash its not rape. Prostitution is a legal profession for which the tax man will happily put you down for to receive taxes."

Even is she is a drug addict, has been in care all her life and has no qualifications, even if she has been raped growing up and it is what she knows, even if she has mental health problems or a child to support or learning difficulties.... No if she's over 18 it's FINE.

Yeah righty-ho matey.

hedidit · 02/09/2012 07:42

Puke away honey...mind the baking tray, wouldnt want you to get vomit in the cupcakes. You are condescending at the very least. You are implying that every prostitute in the country has not the intelligence to make adult decisions. More a pukeworthy comment in my view. There are abused people from all walks of life and in every profession yet for some reason prostitution is highlighted lol.

You know what I think your real issue here in general people is, you just are scared of that which you do not know. You know in the way people used to be scared of peoples of different colour skin. Ignorance is no excuse in this enlightened day and age. If you actually went into brothels, spoke to these women you would see a real picture, yes there are the abused and down trodden in life but there are also the fiesty and fiercly independent. Sitting behind your newspapers and keyboards forming views on bits of partial flawed evidence garnered by others is just lazy.

Or it could be that a lot of you have been in this profession in the past and are now doing the "protest too much" thing to keep a tenuous grip on your respectability.

hedidit · 02/09/2012 07:44

ahhh yes, and none of you ever popped into the places I worked to speak to the girls and "see if they were okay in light of their childhood abuse" so do you really think sitting here bleating about it is going to make the problem go away. At least I am telling it like it is. If you care so damn much how do you have time to be a keyboard warrior, wouldnt you be out there hands on helping mmmm "rolls eyes as talk is cheap and easy"

PlentyOfPubeGardens · 02/09/2012 08:49

All you have is anecdotes.

Original poster
EatsBrainsAndLeaves · 02/09/2012 11:06

I have friends who have been prostitutes so I have heard about the reality.

The average age a prostitute becomes a prostitute is 14 years of age. That woman prostitute you speak to will probably have become a prostitute when a child.

Informed consent???

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Melpomene · 02/09/2012 12:28

Do you have a source for the claim the average age is 14, eatsbrainsandleaves? There must be many women who become prostitutes in their 20s or even later, so in order for the average age to be 14 there would have to be high numbers of young children becoming prostitutes. Obviously it goes on and it is horrendous when a 14 year old enters prostitution, but I find it very hard to believe that is the average age.

PlentyOfPubeGardens · 02/09/2012 12:35

I haven't heard the average age 14 thing before but there's a source here that says 15:

According to evidence submitted to the UK Government (Home Office, 2004), between 50-75% of women entered prostitution before they were 18, with 15 years being the average age of entry. In addition, Paying the Price (Home Office, 2004) noted that 75% of children abused through prostitution had been missing from school. Cusick and colleagues (2002) found that a majority of British women in prostitution had begun prostitution as minors. The average age at entry into prostitution is adolescence (Spangenberg, 2001; Boyer, Chapman and Marshall, 1993; Nadon, Koverola and Schludermann, 1998).

SardineQueen · 02/09/2012 12:39

Ah yes but that doesn't matter does it plentyofpubegardens because in chichester there is one woman who enjoys her work and charges £300 per hour.

I suppose we really need to consider whether children selling themselves for a few quid just don't have the ambition to earn more? It's all just a matter of capitalism after all - abused children being raped notwithstanding Smile

carmenelectra · 02/09/2012 13:19

Hmm, I'm not sure about the 1 in 7. Seems awfully high. I have read previously that it is like more like 1 in 10. That still seems shocking to me.

I have only known 2 men in real life who admitted to seeing prostitutes. both are what I would describe as losers. The first one was a relative of a friend and he was socially inept. A very odd, almost reclusive man. The type to never have a girlfriend and live with his mother all his life. The second man was a work colleague who also hadn't really had much in the way of girlfriends. He was very loud and outgoing. He was very overweight and openly admitted that he paid for sex with women he could never pull. He was very boastful and not a bit ashamed. I was very young back then and I, along with my colleagues used to take the piss. I would be a bit more upfront and challenge him now.

Whatever, the true figure is I guess I must know someone who pays for sex, although its very difficult to imagine in my immediate circle of family and friends. I am not naive though and it does piss me off when the happy hookers and the boastful punters try to use the 1 in 7 argument to suggest we all living with partners who regularly shag escorts and we don't know it because we are too busy mumsnetting all day.