I just want to say that I don't condone this vice personally. It can expose someone to physical harm in a few different ways. I also don't think it's healthy, emotionally, socially, financially or spiritually.

I also want to establish that I'm talking about independent sex workers. That is: Women are choosing to do it rather than being controlled by someone else.

There seems to be an unfair double standard at play that can easily be seen by comparing it to the drug trade.

When it comes to drugs, we tend to see the providers as manipulative, antisocial, psychopathic predators exploiting the weakness and desperation of other people for their own selfish gain. They're taking advantage of the very neural circuitry of neighbors and they're fully aware that they're doing it.

We see the customers as poor souls who are being preyed on. We show them compassion and empathy. We consider the unfortunate circumstances that have them stuck in the cycle of addiction. We try to come up with ways to help them, even going so far in some places as government-funded drug consumption centres.

In the sex trade...

We see the independent providers as the victims. We take into consideration all the disadvantages in their lives that have put them in their situation. We allocate resources to try to help them. We treat them with compassion and understanding.

And yet, we label the customers as callous, exploitative monsters using their money to take advantage of the vulnerable. I've seen the city that I live in literally publish the names of busted Johns in the local news media to shame and humiliate them. They're seen as so bad that it warrants this cruel and unusual medieval-style punishment in the 2010's developed world.

It's not like we don't know that sex addiction is a thing. How many communities are there filled with people who admit that they use it as a high and an escape and want to stop but can't, despite all the damage it's doing to their lives. We should also know by now that male frustration connecting with women the normal, healthy way is very much a problem.

On the other side, we have women who seem to have had pretty reasonable upbringings admit (and sometimes almost brag) about being able to easily fleece men in order to make loads of cash.

I think there's a sexist element to this that needs to be talked about more.