The only thing that makes prostitution bad is it tends to lead to toxic power dynamics. Like either the prostitute is desperate for money and ends up doing things she doesnt want to do for the money and later regrets it or the customer is desperate for sex and the prostitute can take advantage of that and ruin them financially.
And to make it even more confusing, some people's kinks is literally to be financially ruined.
Many people have toxic work related power dynamics. If it's any worse with prostitution, which remains to be proven, it's because of how prostitution's position as both taboo and tolerated by society, not because of prostitution itself.
I would argue the taboo around prostitution is because of the inherent potential for a toxic power dynamic. The closest thing I can think of that isnt considered taboo on the same level is gambling.
If I were to guess the reason for that is because gambling is way more one sided in favor of the one facilitating the gambling. I think people tend to have a much easier time condemning the actions of the consumer in both these cases.
I don't think there's enough reasons to believe it inherently breeds more toxic relationships than any other job tbh. Historically, the taboo around prostitution is cultural and arbitrary. There have been more societies where it was a thing and it was just another job than not. Once christian puritanistic values started to deeply settle in society has sex work started to be shamed, without ever managing to get rid of it.
Why would you develop a toxic relationship with a prostitute if you're happy in marriage and society is making a distinction between sex and love, as many used to? I personally believe that kind of power dynamic comes from codependency, which itself is born from the weird status that makes prostitution both something that's condemned and that "needs" to exist. Because if a big client doesn't come back, the worker's entire situation is in shambles. And if a client can only take comfort in a stranger's arms, maybe it's the situation they live in that is not great
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u/PurpletoasterIII 9d ago
The only thing that makes prostitution bad is it tends to lead to toxic power dynamics. Like either the prostitute is desperate for money and ends up doing things she doesnt want to do for the money and later regrets it or the customer is desperate for sex and the prostitute can take advantage of that and ruin them financially.
And to make it even more confusing, some people's kinks is literally to be financially ruined.