Sex for Sale: Prostitution

Sex for Sale: Prostitution

2010, Sexuality  -   33 Comments
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Ratings: 6.41/10 from 310 users.

It's been called world's oldest profession yet it's always been taboo - prostitution. Around the world the sex industry presents many faces. From the violent sex slums of Bangladesh, to the deadly sidewalks of the United States. From the stylish bordellos of Australia, to Europe where the disabled pay for sex, and where man are videotaped in futuristic cyber-brothels. Step into the forbidden world of sex for sale. Those who sell sex, whether male or female, are shunned and labeled as whores or hookers.

Those who buy it are seen as sleazy and immoral. But does prostitution change its nature when it steps from the third world to the first, or are violence, drug abuse and disease global realities? When street pimps give away to legal brothels, is prostitution destigmatized? And when sex is sold as a service to the disabled does it become legitimate? As old as the hills, but forever changing, prostitution takes more forms than ever before. But are they all still taboo?

On the banks of the river Padma, in Bangladesh, Maya stares across the water toward her former home, the city of Dhaka. This mighty river symbolizes Maya's separation from her family and her past life. It reminds her that she can never return for she is a prostitute. Maya is trapped in a sprawling brothel town called Daulatdia - a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. Trucks, laden with goods for Dhaka, line up for days waiting to cross the river. This giant traffic jam spawned Daulatdia, a roadside sex slum of over 2000 shacks, each housing a prostitute. The women there service thousands of men a day, for two to four dollars at a time.

In a country where nearly sixty million people live on a less than a dollar a day, many women see prostitution as an economic necessity. In fact the law allows unemployed women over eighteen to apply for permission to work as a prostitute. Although legal, Bangladeshi society still treats these women as outcasts. Prostitution is closely related to the notion of two concepts called "purity" and "pollution" which originally come from Hindu culture. Hindus form the second largest religious group in Bangladesh. Whatever her religion, when a woman turns to prostitution she becomes forever tainted.

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Brianna Jacklin
Brianna Jacklin
7 years ago

I was just curious who is the director for this film.

call me anna
call me anna
7 years ago

My sister is a sex seller, she has a job every week and it pays well for her. YUCK!YUCK!YUCK! Don't ever do it, I'm 20 and I did it once! EEEWWWWWWW!!!

dpk
dpk
7 years ago

In this monetary world, everyone pay to money for money....

Michael
Michael
8 years ago

Why does the narrator keep saying of the high-end prostitute being interviewed that she "claims" to like her work, so as to lay doubt?

Destiny
Destiny
8 years ago

In a sense America has legalized prostitution- pornography. We pay them to have sex, the only difference is that not all are recorded. As a female, I believe that it should be legal and we could apply for a work certificate like we would do a CDL.

UMac40
UMac40
10 years ago

Story of my life right here.

BlackRoseOfMercy
BlackRoseOfMercy
10 years ago

Sex is good? Sex is great? Sex is gross! I don't see the point in it.

Bryan
Bryan
10 years ago

Why can't I have that job,?!!I would love to have sex for a living...it's every guys dream...I don't know why woman hate it so much while men would love it. Must be a biological thing, maybe having the X chromosome makes you not like casual sex, while the Y chromosome makes you love having sex xdd

Jacek Walker
Jacek Walker
10 years ago

People who take money for using their bodies...well, what are they actually doing? They are betraying their own bodies.
Selling them like a commodity to be used, often abused and put aside when not needed.
They have no respect toward their bodies. Call it prostitution or whatever...

Corzillla
Corzillla
10 years ago

o dont necessarily agree with a women selling herself but id rather see a willing women sleep with a potential rapist or serial rapist if it meant saving someone a life full of pain.

anonymous
anonymous
10 years ago

The reality of it is. If we relied on our instincts. We would be f--king every human being we can. I think alot of us modernized people attach more meaning to sex than need be. Its a pleasurable expierence. Im not saying people should pay for sex. But the practice of having many partners is not as bad as you are making it seem. I think the real problem here is that every human being wishes to be a completely free individual. And being in a comittied relationship doesnt allow that. Which is why the most loving couple whom have families togethet still choose to participate in such acts. Not be becauze in their head they are like ya. I dont give a f--k about my wife and family, but because it threatns a core value. Freedom.

Andi Mack
Andi Mack
10 years ago

what bothers me the most, is that there is such focus on how immoral the women are who get paid for sex, but no one ever REALLY talks about the morality of the men who pay. We hear a lot that its an unsafe profession, yeah it is, not because the work itself is dangerous, but because the workers are forced to work in the shadows of society, and we force them to. We force this ridiculous social stigma onto them, and don't give them any where to go for help if they need it. Even in this documentary they say some people "claim" to enjoy it. No one ever says that *insert traditional profession here* "claims" to enjoy their work. If she says she enjoys it, she probably does. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a women enjoying sex, whether she's paid for it or not.

Personally, as long as the parties involved are ADULTS, I don't have an issue with prostitution (which where I live is legal, but the activities around it are illegal - having a brothel, soliciting etc). It's the trafficking and child abuse that concern me. Along with this, I don't consider it abuse if the adult woman chooses this as a career and consents. I honestly don't see that as any different than me paying a plumber to fix my sink. Money for a service. Although I have strong opinions about this, I'm not entirely sure how to fix it and make it safer. I don't know how much good legalizing it would do, because there is still such a social stigma.

Rocky Racoon
Rocky Racoon
10 years ago

All human needs are commodified that is what I hate about it all. When a human need is withheld for any reason I think it is immoral.

1concept1
1concept1
10 years ago

I see nothing wrong with selling sex? And if your going to throw morality at me i refer you to Barbara Walters comment to Woody Allen:, "Woody do you consider sex dirty"? To which he replied: "If your doing it right it is".

matt van den ham
matt van den ham
10 years ago

Remember kids, prostitution is illegal, so be sure to have a camera on hand to make a porn.

Guest
Guest
10 years ago

"Thousands of men a day"
A theoretical impossibility.
Thousands mean at least, bare minimum, 2000.
Lets say they work 16 hours a day, leaving 8 to sleep and eat. The absolute most anyone could do.

That means that every sexual act would need to take less than 30 seconds, and 0 seconds is spent in between customers.

Also, these women would then be set for life. One day would generate enough income to live for the next few decades, quite well.

Even if these women only do a few dozen a day they would be doing well, which is probably around how many they actually do.