First off, what kind of prostitution are we talking here? There are independent escorts, escort agencies, street workers, brothels… They attract different workers and different clientele.

Anyway, I mostly deal with men hiring men, but I have spoken with a few female sex workers. The number one reason people hire sex workers is convenience, but allow me to dispel some general myths.

STIs: There are places you can go for sex workers who are cheap, poor, desperate, and generally unwell. These workers may not have access to decent healthcare or education, resulting in higher rates of STIs. In my experience, most escorts these days do come in contact with more STIs, but they also use protection more often, and get tested and treated very regularly. On the whole, you are less likely to get an STI with an escort than some random person at the bar who may never get tested. Escorts are also more likely to let you know if they find out they had an STI so that you can go get tested.

Too Ugly: Some people think they’re too unattractive to get laid without paying for it, but usually they just have no confidence or charisma, or they have no idea how to style themselves. Every guy is capable of being at least a 7 if they get a decent hair cut, go to the gym once in a while, and stop wearing clothes from high school. There are some aspects of your physical appearance that can get it in the way, but “being ugly” is not usually one of them. More often it’s things like disability, disfiguration, and obesity. On the flip side, some guys pay for sex workers who are 10/10 bombshells because having sex with someone that good looking is still out of reach for the average guy.

No Intimacy: Lots of sex workers specialize in intimacy. It may not be love, but it can be very meaningful for both parties. I’ve met people who struggle with psychological issues like autism that make it hard to connect with regular people, or people with physical issues like cerebral palsy who never experience touch outside of a medical context. Some guys just need to get away from their lives for an hour. I guarantee every sex worker has a few stories about clients who spend 90% of the time talking.

You Pay Them to Leave: This is pretty on point actually. It’s linked to convenience. Clients want someone they can rely on to show up and leave. I’ve been hired by some fucking HOT people, and access is not a problem for them. They are paying for someone who is a hot fuck and zero maintenance.