I'm having a bit of a debate with someone on Twitter, basically I'm saying I reckon that if there was less stigma around sex work and it was more acceptable and less dangerous then the average people charged for sessions would go down, but they seem adamant there is no connection. It seems pretty obvious to me, add I've always seen that part of the reason the rates are so much higher than other work is because of the risk involved with it, which is primarily caused by stigma and the dodgy legal status. Also I'm sure I've read people on here say that average rates have gone down in recent years as more people have taken it up aided by the internet (Though I guess the recession probably has something to do with that too).

What do people think? have there been any studies/investigations into this?

IMO its competition that drives prices down.

I agree with you, Teaboy. If it were a normal thing to do and people weren't ashamed and predators didn't assume they could do what they wanted to prostitutes then I'm sure there would be many more people happy to do it.

If there were less stigma and more women took up the business causing prices to drop to lets say a universal ?30 for a full GFE would anyone here do it? I know I wouldn't. Long let the stigma reign as far as I'm concerned.

You forget that it's mostly men who force women to lower their rates.
That creates the inflation.
Women themselves would probably not go down to 50 an hour if they would know better.
If the stigma wasn't so bad, you could clarify more openly how women would be able to wok independent and girls at 18,19 wouldn't have to go to awful brothels because they don't know how to start as an escort.
Also agencies wouldn't be able to take advantage any longer.

It is US--women who make the prices. if nobody goes down with their rates, men have to pay anyway because they are controlled by their c***s. And for all the women who would start escorting there would be the same amount of punters IMO, bc men also feel ashamed to pay for escort services.

Many girls can't do this type of work anyway because they are too sensitive and not everyone loves sex.
I still believe that rates would actually go up because women would finally be able to support each other and create own businesses without men who take advantage again and we would keep the market at a specific level. The low lives who try to charge less would become outcasts (and be forced to increase their rates) and quality would rule over cheap quantity. Women would know how much their service is worth and not cheapen themselves.
Apple or high fashion designers don't get cheaper just because there is so much other cheaper stuff on the market. It get s even more expensive because of the right marketing (which you would be able to finally do)and true and real quality combined with perfect marketing rules the market in general.

Hm... Okay, rates would go down as there is definitely a connection, but I'm not sure that there's a problem with that and I think liking the stigma just because it brings you more money is a bit selfish. If we had proper worker's rights and could stamp out certain damaging myths, aka rape and murder not being considered an occupational hazard, then that would lead to much better conditions which would make our work a lot more safer and enjoyable. However, I would argue that these rights would only be provided in a society that already provided decent other options so less women would feel "forced" to do this, and as a result the market wouldn't be THAT saturated (though there would still be an increase in workers).

All in all I'd take a ?60/hour rate (half my rate) if it meant I could work almost entirely worry-free and also be upfront and honest to people about how I make my money. Even ?30 an hour (which I highly doubt it would reach) is way more than I'd expect to earn in any other job I would be likely to be accepted into right now.

Very good point, I honestly have no idea as I'm still wrapping my head round what makes men come to escorts and particularly what makes men do it more than women (I'm going to ignore the gender essentialist responses), re the first point obviously there's the old no sex in marriage/feeling lonely etc but I don't believe that's the whole story. How I wish it wasn't so difficult to do research on this stuff!

I hate that at the beginning I was working for incredibly low rates while I was young and beautiful because I didn't know the industry and thought that's all you can charge.
I started at 23 but looked like 17, the idiot of the agency I started with had a bunch of beautiful girls and was running the industry in Switzerland (as he still somehow does) who worked for half what I charge today and it was lots of work. To me at that time it was a lot of money and I was happy.
I hate this guy for taking so much advantage. as so many other idiots who use women.
He really never touched me or pushed me to do anything. And because everything seemed so nice, polite and perfect, I assumed that the way we worked was completely fine, but it wasn't. But because nobody complained?how could I have known better?
I so wish I would have had an intelligent lady in my life to guide me, but there were too many who didn't know any better, too.