(Note: since most men would have little difficulty being paid to have sex, let’s stipulate that you’re stuck in an Deuce Bigelow situation: having to service clients undesirable enough that Viagra is a work-related expense)
A better question is, how desperate would the CLIENTS have to be???
I have nothing against women or men who have voluntarily chosen prostitution as a career, as long as they perform their job honestly [and there is no coercion or pimps involved]
I would not choose it for myself, unless as I chose, it was prostitution to put a roof over my head and buy food and medications. They better have a fat chick in a wheelchair fetish…
If I were hotter, and it were legal, I’d so do it. That being said, I’m not, and it isn’t, so hell no.
That or die. Even then, if I had to make a go of it for long, I might just opt for ‘die’. I’m pretty sure that any extended period in the sex trade industry will slowly (or quickly) strip away any sense of self.
I chose the sure with conditions one. I mean, the girls at the Bunny Ranch in Carson seem awfully happy on that documentary (Cathouse) and I see nothing wrong with what they are doing. Everybody’s tested, everybody’s safe. If I needed money and life arranged itself in such a way that, that opportunity would be a good one for me, I’d do it. Why not? I see no moral problem with that situation.
Just yesterday, a man drove up beside me as I walked to work, trying to proposition me. This isn’t the first time I’ve been mistaken for a hooker, either (I was wearing a pair of jeans and a jacket, btw, not thigh-high boots and a mini-skirt). I can only imagine how desperate I’d have to be to actually get in a car with a creepy guy like that. Besides, hookers are at major risk for being raped, beaten, robbed, or killed. They’re easy targets because they’ll go with strange men to dark alleys, and because if a hooker disappears few people care about it. 
I think it’d have to be the ‘if it was that or death’ option for me. If I could be a Renaissance-era courtesan, who could choose their lovers and were as much companions as sexual objects, it might not be so bad, but a hooker or call-girl – no thanks!
You left out one answer:
I cannot conceive of one human being who would actually pay to have sex with someone like me.
According to a number of craigslist posts, you’d just need to cover your college tuition.
I can’t imagine a situation where I’m not able to use any of my skills to find a regular job to keep myself clothed and fed. But if some freaky thing happened and I suddenly had no income, and no hope whatsoever of obtaining an income through non-sex-related work, I suppose I’d try getting paid for sex instead of living in the street.
I’d probably go through something like: Walmart drone - telemarketer - phone sex operator - “masseuse” - prostitute - selling a kidney - cold and miserable street death.
I’m kind of a freak, so probably not very. It might come to desperation as I’m building up a clientelle. 
I hate being touched at all by people I don’t actually like or in rare occasions just lust for. I can’t even imagine sleeping with somebody I didn’t want to sleep with, for any reason. I’ll take the bridge and the sudden stop at the bottom please.
I’m male, and I didn’t need the concession. I don’t like the idea of having sex with people I’m not in a relationship with. I chose the first option, but, realistically, I can’t imagine there not being something else I could do.
I picked “wouldn’t be that bad with the right preconditions” but my preconditions are that I am a high-end escort, get to veto clients and insist that a condom is always used. I’ve always been good at customer service.
However, I am not hot enough for that level of prostitution, so if it were a matter of really scuzzy guys up against a wall in a alley, I would pick an option you haven’t listed “only to save my children’s lives”.
I’d totally do it now if it were legal and I was a little less fat. I see no difference between being screwed over at work vs prostituting, except the STD risk. On the plus side, I’d get to be my own boss and meet all kinds of interesting people. The downside is I’d probably make less than I do now (men aren’t exactly in high demand as whores, for either male or female clients) and I’d work this same shitty graveyard shift and weekends too.
And how come this isn’t a public poll?
I voted for for if it was literally that or die but I think there’s an option missing relating to one’s dependants I’d probably do it to stop them being hungry and homeless (in the unlikely event that I could actually make significant money of course).
The option: Wouldn’t be that bad under the right set of conditions kind of blows the whole poll for me.
I was watching Spartacus: Blood and Sand last night. Can’t say I feel too sorry for the gladiators that are “forced” to fuck some of their hot female captors.
If I absolutely HAD to whore myself out to get to a more stable place in life, then sure, I’d do it.
But if I had to whore myself out in perpetuity, then no, I’ll take the bridge.
Don’t you mean collage tuishion?
I chose the third option from the top (sick of being hungry/homeless), but as Shakes observed, the right set of conditions option changes a lot.
I doubt scouts for the Bunny Ranch are gonna be knockin’ down the door anytime, but I could probably make it as a Craigslist long-term arrangement hooker. Y’know the ones: generous donor, $2000/month for a cute, witty, educated gal, NOT professional, willing to meet up a couple times a week for sex. I’d probably be willing to enter into that kind of prostitution before I’m homeless and hungry. Maybe if I’m just threatened with eviction and down to my few packs of ramen. I imagine this sort of arrangement would be destructive in the long run, but at least it cuts down the risk of STDs and assault if you’re sticking with one guy.
Seeing as I can’t give it away I don’t think I’d be very successful, but then again, if the one tooth crack whore in Palmer’s Square can make a living…