Prostitution, Contemporary

Prostitution, sometimes referred to as “sex work,” is the world's oldest profession, albeit a controversial one. Prostitution involves two or more consenting adults who negotiate some form of sexual service in exchange for monetary payment or other goods; thus, there is a buyer (e.g., client, customer, or “john”) and a seller (i.e., a prostitute), a service (e.g., sexual intercourse or oral sex), and a contracted price. Prostitution is a vast, growing, and lucrative industry. In the United States alone, it is estimated that there are 1 million ...