More specifically, sex work in general, which means I am including strippers. Why would women do this? I think motivation is important to explore. Many women, and young men, were forced into prostitution. It was not their choice or desire, but sex trafficking is a real thing and it happens every day. Women are taken from a small city in Russia or Mexico. Their families are promised they will have work in America, maybe they offer them some money, and they have no reason to believe differently, until they arrive in the U.S. and find out the nature of their work.

I have mentioned before that I was an exotic dancer. I was working on my bachelor degree while having two children under the age of 8, alone. I could go in and work the hours I wanted, make great money, and have plenty of time to spend with my children. I don’t regret a single second of it.

  • 1 in 10 strippers are married. I didn’t date anyone I met at the club, but I met the hubbs online, while I was still dancing, and I danced until I was a few months pregnant with our son, now 11. He knew I was coming home to him and he understood it was a job, just one I happened to do naked.
  • 1 in 3 strippers really are putting themselves through school, just like I was.
  • Pay varies, depending on the city and regulations there, but most of the time dancers make anywhere from 200-300 a night, to over 3,000 a night. It’s a good incentive.
  • 12% of strippers are rookies in their first year, 55% have been dancing 1-5 years, 19% have been dancing 5-10 years, 6% 10-20 years, leaving the remaining 8% who have been dancing longer than 20 years.
  • There are more than 9 female dancers, for every 1 male dancer.
  • 86% say that exotic dancing is a legitimate line of work, but 8% feel it is closer to prostitution.
  • 89% say they were raised in a religious home and 91% are still close with their parents.

Some eye candy for the ladies too! 

However, sex workers, or prostitutes are still often looked down upon by exotic dancers. I know they were at my club. But, there are some staggering statistics about sex workers that may surprise you.

  • About 40% are former child prostitutes, forced into prostitution, via human trafficking and teenage runaways.
  • Many men feel safer from contracting STIs from younger prostitutes, increasing the demand.
  • The average age of prostitutes male and female is 14-25 years old age.
  • Female prostitutes have a more difficult time leaving the profession, mainly because of pimps and typically have shorter life spans because of abuse by both pimps and clients.
  • Female prostitutes are more likely to get murdered. Roughly 1/4 of NYC prostitutes are homeless and/or addicted to illegal drugs. 90% of NYC prostitutes have had to give up at least 1 child to protective services.

Of course, there are areas of the world where women can practice prostitution, if they desire, in a safe and comfortable environment. One such place in the US is The Bunny Ranch, outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. My question to you is, would you rather have these girls out on the street or would you rather they be protected? I mean if people are going to go to a prostitute, they’re going to go to one. Why not regulate it? Why not protect these women, like the exotic dancer? They say prostitution is the oldest profession. It isn’t going anywhere.

Why shouldn’t we protect the ones that choose to go this route and fight for the ones that don’t want to go this route and are forced into it? There’s nothing wrong with sex. We may look down on porn actors, but we protect them. If people want to go into this line of work, they have to get a clean “bill of health” for the safety of themselves and those they work with, so why should sex work be any different?