Have you done your homework?
The Upsides
The good news is that many wonderful things may happen to you as a result of your work in the sex industry. Here are just a few of the benefits of escorting:
Sex -- You will be having a great deal of sex as an escort. You will have many great sexual experiences and will frequently learn new techniques and skills from your partners. Sometimes attractive men will hire you. Even those clients who do not excite you may surprise you with their sexual energy. As your erotic skills increase, so will your ability to apply them to your personal life. You will also have the opportunity, if you wish, to experience a wide variety of sexual fetishes, such as bondage, group sex, foot worship, and much more.
Money -- Skilled escorts earn a great deal of money. Whether you are escorting part-time or as a career, the money will almost certainly be greater than any other comparable job you could have. You will constantly have large amounts of cash that will allow you to live a higher standard of living than you are accustomed to, or at the very least will allow you to get out of debt or pay for college.
Gifts -- Some of your clients will buy you gifts. In my own work, clients have presented me with clothing, jewelry, sex toys, bottles of wine, gourmet food, investment advice, and books. I have heard of clients who have offered escorts everything from free dentistry to inside stock tips. You never know what you may receive.
People -- You will meet many interesting people as an escort. I have heard clients talk about everything from repairing pipe organs to selling cookware to piloting a Boeing 747 airplane. Many of the clients you will meet will be pleasant and enjoyable people as well. Sometimes you will even 'click' personally, creating a friendship that will last long after they cease hiring you.
Status -- Escorting is considered exciting and trendy among certain circles. People who previously ignored you will suddenly start hitting on you. You will constantly have people wanting to ask you about your work and will never be short of stories to tell at parties.
Opportunities -- You never know what may happen during your escort career. Some escorts find true love through their work, either in a client or another escort. Other escorts are sometimes offered great jobs outside the industry from their contacts and leave escorting to follow their dreams.
Self-esteem -- Many people find escorting to be an empowering experience. If you have doubts about your attractiveness, they will quickly vanish as people pay thousands of dollars for your time. Running your own business is an exciting prospect, and watching it grow can be as rewarding as advancing in any traditional career.
Flexibility -- Unless you work for an agency or brothel, you will act as your own boss. You have full control over your hours and can even cancel appointments if you do not feel like working. Career escorts can sleep late, work full time as an escort, and still be able to pursue their own hobbies and interests.
Travel -- As you develop your clientele, a few of your clients may start to invite you with them as they travel. In the past four years, clients have flown me to Las Vegas, Toronto, Amsterdam, Acapulco, and more than a dozen other cities around the world.
Modeling/Porn -- Someone may approach you with an offer to appear in adult magazines and videos. Although doing so is not for everyone, you may find it stimulating and a great way to gain publicity and to expand your business.
The Downsides
Of course, escorting is not always an ideal field in which to work. There are plenty of drawbacks, some of which can leave lifelong marks. How to avoid these problems is addressed in later chapters, but for now it is important to be aware of the pitfalls that await you.
Medical risks -- There are numerous medical risks associated with escorting. AIDS/HIV is the most obvious one, but there are plenty of others. Escorts can easily contract hepatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea, and a host of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Rimming (oral-anal contact) can expose an escort to parasitic infections. Anal warts, caused by another STD, are also linked to increased rates of anal cancer.
Social risks -- Not everyone will be as keen on prostitution as you are. Relationships with your family and friends may be strained or severed if they learn that you are escorting. Few escorts find their parents are capable of fully accepting what they do. This can cause scars that can last for a lifetime.
Crime -- Escorts are often unwilling to go to the police if something happens to them because of the illegal nature of prostitution. As a result, escorts are highly vulnerable to crime. I have friends in the industry who have been attacked, raped, and robbed. In extreme cases, I have even heard of escorts being tortured and killed.
Drugs -- Escorts who are not into the drug scene will be exposed to it. In the past few years, I have seen clients use poppers, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, and crack. Some of this can be avoided through screening your clients, but some drug users are bound to slip through.
Degradation -- You will sometimes come home from a day on the job feeling used and degraded by your clients. There are hordes of strange people out there, some of whom delight in physically and emotionally degrading escorts. Other clients are physically and mentally distasteful and will leave you feeling dirty and unclean.
Loneliness -- Escorting can be lonely work. Your busy times will be evenings and weekends, the same times that your friends with day jobs are usually free. Your work with clients will be intimate and close, but requires you maintain a certain level of distance and professionalism, even when you are creating the illusion than no such distance exists.
Boredom -- An escort's work can be boring. Sometimes your business will be quiet for days on end for no apparent reason. Even when you are entertaining a client, it may be dull and monotonous. Escorts in suburban and rural areas will also spend many long hours driving back and forth to their destinations.
Relationship problems -- It is extremely difficult to maintain a romantic relationship while you are escorting. Your work will likely make him insecure, and his jealousies will flare up when he is angry or hurt. Sex within the relationship may become a much lower priority as well, much to your boyfriend's distress. For single escorts, building new romantic relationships can be almost impossible at times.
Lack of benefits -- Escorts are self-employed, meaning there are no employment benefits in most countries. If you cannot work for any reason, you will earn absolutely nothing. You may also have to pay for your own insurance as well. The same applies to your retirement savings. You will need to make your own investments if you want to live well when you retire.
As you can see, escorting is neither the ideal paradise nor the nightmarish existence some make it out to be. Still, for many people the benefits outweigh the risks. You should consider your goals and whether you believe escorting is a viable way for you to reach them. If it still seems like a good idea, then you should take a closer look at exactly what your life may be like as an escort.
ELIZA.
