"It's a boy!" I shouted, as I ran from the Thai brothel.

There have been some interesting discussions about the death of Hugh Hefner and how he exploited women through pornography.  And this brings up the issue of those who work in pornography and the sex trade.

There is no doubt that too many adults, and children have been exploited to work in both, and actresses like Shelley Lubben has spoken out many a time on her experiences as a pornographic actress.  But, some are willingly drawn to working in pornography or prostitution.

Prostitution has been described as the worlds oldest profession, and going back in time, where women have had less rights than now, I have no doubt that exploitation occurred then as well.  I do not like the idea of women selling themselves for money.  But in my work, I have encountered women who do so, one being a pornographic actress who despite the help she was offered, wanted to work in the business, but also people who were working and those who have worked in the past as sex workers.  But, we have to remember that this is not just an issue where women work in the industry.

Listening to women who have been brave enough to talk about the work they have done as sex workers (or strippers) there is no doubt in my mind that this work should be legal and that those women who work in the trade should be not only offered protection, but also to help workers leave the trade.  And when it comes to regulation, this is to reduce risks to those who work in the trade as well as to reduce the risks of people being forced to work in the sex trade as well as stopping those who are underage being forced into it.
And while some of the customers of sex workers that I have met have expressed views that I find to think of anything other than loathsome (though this has not changed the treatment that they are entitled to or what I have given), the customers who use sex workers are varied, and some, have no other real choice in life.