PROSTITUTION TO PAY FOR COLLEGE

I’ve read quite a bit about young women working for escort services to pay for college. Some of them do it for money, others for money and perceived glamor.

There are more than a few problems with this choice as I see it from my vantage point of a 59-year old woman.

First, there is no such thing as anonymity today. If a young woman chooses prostitution she will never outlive the stigma. It might seem cool now and possible to lead a double life. But the word “secret” is obsolete with the Internet and the globalization of everyone’s private matters.

Eventually these voluntary prostitutes will have both emotional scars and societal judgments. In my circle of friends, which is pretty wide, I can’t think of one successful man who would marry a former prostitute.

I did a lot of research into the plight of prostitutes for my novel Karma. Even though Karma is about forced prostitution (sex trafficking), the stigma of being a prostitute is the same for both those who are forced and those who volunteer. The word “prostitution” denotes the lowest rung of societal vermin.

Self blame and low self esteem are endemic to all who are forced into prostitution. Self-blame is one of the hallmark manifestations of post traumatic stress disorder, which all trafficked women suffer from. By delving into the true meaning of karma, the main character of my novel comes to understand that karma isn’t cause and effect like we think in the West. When something bad happens to you it affords an opportunity to contribute to the good karma of the world with your actions to make the world a better place. My character’s epiphany represents what I would like to see happen for all rescued victims of sex trafficking: the self compassion to accept that what happened to them not their fault that they are victims and valuable human beings who deserves happiness.

For those who voluntarily sell their most precious possession—their bodies—I also wish for self-forgiveness and self-compassion.

Moreover, I wish these girls would consider taking out a student loan, then working on developing a mission for their lives.