Saddler

There are two British studies that suggest some interesting, if not troubling trends. One concludes that the number of men who pay for sex has doubled in the past decade. Another has a few facts to ponder:

• 1 out of 10 men, with an average age of 34, said they paid for sex.
• 50% said they had paid for sex while traveling abroad.
• 66% said they had paid for sex in the previous year.
• 25% said they had repeatedly used prostitutes
• 20% had a sexually transmitted disease.
• 46% said that they had a current partner when they paid for sex.

This was from a study of 2500 British men at a health clinic from October 2002 to February, 2004 and was published in 2006 in several journals. Currently, in Great Britain, there are more than 3900 escort/massage parlors that charge at least 50 pounds an hour or $100 in the US. Looking on Craigs List under erotic services in most major cities, the ladies are charging per hour from 100 to 150 roses as some like to call it to supposedly bypass the law. Anyway you call it, thats a lot of money for a few minutes of pleasure.

I know a gentleman that owns such a club and says well over two-thirds of his clientele are out-of-towners on business and mostly married. I am not a sex therapist or a frequent visitor to one of these places. I just like to write articles that make one think and I enjoy studying the human condition. If you, however, do pay for sex, I would like to know a few things about you.

I imagine you have your reasons. Assuming you are either married or have girl friend, purchasing the offerings of a prostitute must; (a) fulfill a fantasy, (b) substitute for something you are not getting at home, (c) give you a cheap thrill, (d) allow you control, (e) be something you can obviously afford, (f) be something you would rather keep private. Therefore, I doubt if you would admit this to your friends and relatives. Thats why sex surveys are hard to come by. My brothel-owner friend was happy to tell me all about the people that frequented his establishment. They covered the spectrum and were wealthy, poor, young, old, famous, and frightened. But they all had one thing in common; the need for anonymous, emotionless sex.

Craigs List ads have pictures of gorgeous models and you can believe them or not. Some look like they are barely 18, which they must be, although technically all women advertising for sex are breaking the law. But its a petty offense and there are not nearly enough police to enforce it. In the US, Nevada has it legalized. In Europe there is Amsterdam, legalized in 2000 and Germany in 2003. Its also legal in Greece and Turkey and Denmark as long as there is a regular medical exam. Brazil and Canada do not prohibit acts of prostitution as long as it is not conducted in a brothel environment. So I guess you can do it outside or in the car. Im not making light of it, but the idea of paying for sex is, ironically, as old as the Bible. And we are no better off trying to stamp it out than eliminating drugs. People think they need it and many are willing to provide it. There was even a Broadway play made about it: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. You cant get much more mainstream than that.

Im neither a moralist or a religious fanatic. But being a fairly normal male in my fifties, I cant imagine paying for sex. If I have a loving relationship with my wife or girl friend, we should be having great sex. It depends on good communication and affection. If I had no partner at all, I could always practice masturbation. Its free, always available, disease-free, and private. There are even great toys, dolls, and devices if the need is there.

Now, at the risk of alienating all those nice woman under erotic services, Ill bet none of them read online articles. So who will I offend with my next statement? I say that a whore is a whore, is a whore. Ive even met a few and they are probably amazing in their own way. But I could never imagine being with a woman who, an hour before, was with someone else. And besides, they could care less about me and just want my money. The quicker its over with, the better. Luckily for them, most men only take a few minutes anyway.

So, in summary, whats the bottom line? Its all about the bottom line, of course. If you can afford $150 an hour for something that actually takes 5 minutes, then good luck to you and your expensive habit. Although I have a news flash for you. Do the math and that equates to paying out $1800 an hour. Even most high-priced attorneys dont charge that much. Of course with them, you never truly realize that youre being screwed.

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, "Pursuit of the Phoenix." His latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages" which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com Currently, he is the Marketing Director for http://www.thenurseschoice.com a Health Information and Doctor Referral site. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffrey_Hauser