Prostitution and sexuality

Abstract

Prostitution is found in many cultures and societies over much of recorded history. It is described in terms of religious, moral, and sociological events. Prostitution developed out of agrarian societies. Descriptions often include stories about the women who are often referred to with negative terminology and rarely are the male customers the focus of sociological attention, until the twentieth century. In more recent times there has been increased attention paid to the negative impact on women and the motivations and psychological traits of the men who pay for sex. While not entirely a “men pay for sex with women” phenomenon, the majority of writings do focus on adult heterosexual prostitution. This focus ignores the other dimensions, including men seeking men, women seeking men, and adults seeking children.