“Prostitution and rape are commonly distinguished by the logical fact that to buy something and to steal something are two different things; but when we consider that sex bought in prostitution is the same type of sex stolen in rape… it is then that we understand how deeply traumatising it is for the woman whose body is so used.” –Rachel Moran, “Paid For: My Journey through Prostitution”
From advertisements that border on pornographic to creating a physical ideal that is influenced by Photoshop, our society is dominated by sex. We desire it, but simultaneously condemn it. The way we handle and consider sex has detrimental consequences on society, including the establishment of a sexual prison, prostitution.
Prostitution is a reality that is hidden in every corner of society. We deny the frequency of its occurrence and denounce those who participate as pariahs. The act of paying for sex is a hushed commodity. It is the stereotypical image of a woman with over-the-knee black boots, a much-too mini skirt, and an excessively tight top walking down a dimly lit road, that gives society an excuse to punish prostitutes without considering the roots of this complex issue.
The mass media skews the accurate portrayal of prostitution. The movie, “Pretty Women,” shows a female prostitute who is empowered, establishes her limits, and ultimately escapes her profession through love. This frames the popular misconception of prostitution as a choice. Prostitutes are perceived as having a devious willingness, yet the sex worker remains a product in a market of a lust for wealth and sex. It is not pretty.
Prostitutes are not rebelling against the norm to prove a point. These women face unimaginable horrors in order to feed themselves and their families or to buy their children school supplies. Prostitution provides money. These women, like the rest of us, have to pay bills and rent, buy food and clothes and provide for their dependents. They are forced into this position simply to survive.
Sex is a lucrative market. The facilitators (pimps, recruiters, etc.) are the suppliers, the men (and women) who buy sex create the demand and the product is the physical bodies of the women (and men). Their job description can be defined as repeated violation and rape, through which they remain mentally composed in order to appear desirable to the customer. In no other context is someone's body treated as a good to be bought, sold, and repeatedly abused. There is no respect. There are no rules. There is no support.
The desperation for money convinces these men and women to sell their bodies, the degrading demand keeps it profitable, and society’s projected blame forces the detachment of the sex industry from the rest of the world. Prostitutes are thus forced to remain in a shunned community marked by drug addiction, mental illness and physical abuse. It is a constant and captivating system that allows little room, if any, for escape.
In a society obsessed with sex, there is little concern for the truth behind the human beings that are coerced to offer up their own bodies. Instead, the blind acceptance of prostitution and blame placed on the individuals unveil a larger problem. That is, society's tendency to contradict itself. We need to stop reprehending "whores," and instead try to understand and help.
Note: The background knowledge of this topic was derived from my college courses and from Rachel Moran's book, "Paid For: My Journey through Prostitution."