# Is it unethical for a single young woman to trade sex for services? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 22, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225 "2013-07-22T18:32:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/21 "2013-07-22T19:29:03Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > Well, given the question it’s undeniably prostitution. Which I find an ethical activity, if not one I’d engage in. This. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/22 "2013-07-22T19:51:34Z")
But if this young, single woman is in an exclusive relationship then I think it is unethical to her boyfriend. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/23 "2013-07-22T19:56:35Z")
Need answer fast? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/24 "2013-07-22T19:57:06Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > What does this mean? A girl drops by the local gas station snags the mechanic and pulls him in the john? Then mentions she’s having some car trouble? I have spent many years as a mechanic and am known locally as a pretty good handyman. More than once a girl has stopped by the house for a “visit” that turned into a little more and then casually mentioned something they needed and just didn’t know how they were going to get the money to do it. Kind of hard to say no once they do you. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/25 "2013-07-22T20:34:29Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Let’s say you have a young, single woman who does not make much money. Her car which she requires to get to work needs a few hundred dollars worth of parts and work to keep running. A few hundred? She better come over every day for the better part of a week. We’ve determined what she is, now we’re just haggling over the price. So, **astro** , what’s wrong with your car? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/26 "2013-07-22T20:57:55Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Let’s say you have a young, single woman who does not make much money. I understand why you specified that she is single, but is it significant that she is young, or that she does not make much money? Would people’s answers change if the woman were older? if she had plenty of money? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/27 "2013-07-22T21:09:17Z")
It’s not critical, the “young” part is simply a realistic context for the scenario. An older, wealthier women is less likely to have a need to barter sexual services for car repairs. Also, realistically, if she is older the marketability of her favors for bartered services might be somewhat more limited. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/28 "2013-07-22T21:15:27Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Also, realistically, if she is older the marketability of her favors for bartered services might be somewhat more limited. Google “Milf”. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/29 "2013-07-22T21:28:10Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Let’s say you have a young, single woman who does not make much money. Her car which she requires to get to work needs a few hundred dollars worth of parts and work to keep running. Her credit is not good and she cannot afford to pay this amount. Interestingly, a few years ago I was working my way through a textbook on the sociology of poverty (wish I could remember the name or author right now,) and this was one of the scenarios that was presented. Another was “If you receive a windfall, do you keep it all to yourself and pay bills, spend it on a luxury, or share it with family/friends?” ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/30 "2013-07-22T21:50:35Z")
Its ethical (and fun!) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/31 "2013-07-22T22:13:23Z")
> [@astro](#): > > It’s not critical, the “young” part is simply a realistic context for the scenario. An older, wealthier women is less likely to have a need to barter sexual services for car repairs. Also, realistically, if she is older the marketability of her favors for bartered services might be somewhat more limited. But I think Thudlow Boink raises an interesting question. Leaving aside age, does the amount of money the woman has make a difference in the ethics? Your OP described a woman who needed car repairs (to maintain her job) and couldn’t afford them. Suppose the situation was a woman who could easily afford the repairs but just preferred to keep her money and pay for the repairs with sex. Would that make it more or less ethical? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/32 "2013-07-22T22:24:11Z")
I have visited Las Vegas a few times. 🆒 Based on that, she should either: - offer a lap dance - once the car is fixed, drive to one of the rural counties in Nevada where prostitution is legal Oh, and you didn’t mention how hot she was … 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/33 "2013-07-22T22:45:04Z")
> [@astro](#): > > OK would it be _more_ ethical if she offers to clean his house for a month? So, some hot chick is going to offer me sex and then clean my house for a month… Golly, I’m torn. ---
**Author:** ![Rowanchilde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a698b9/32.png) [@Rowanchilde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rowanchilde)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/34 "2013-07-22T22:59:30Z")
This was actually a hard and fast reality for my roommate back in '76. The car was wrecked (front end damage) and she left the scene. Add to that a long term borrow from her parents she couldn’t let them know… The shop she took it to realized the gravity of the situation and took advantage. We were both 18 at the time. The asshole kept upping the price, said it was costing more, taking longer, than expected. It was pretty sad… No, it wasn’t ethical but I don’t blame her… ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/35 "2013-07-22T23:08:18Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Do you? Bravo. I don’t see prostitution as unethical. If you want a beautiful model for a spokesperson you pay someone for their beauty. If you need a doctor or a plumber you pay someone with knowledge. Why not pay someone if you need sex (given that they are willing). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/36 "2013-07-22T23:20:59Z")
It seems to me that except in the highly unlikely event that the mechanic is declaring the sex as income in kind, the transaction is tax-evasive. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/37 "2013-07-23T00:05:39Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > But if this young, single woman is in an exclusive relationship then I think it is unethical to her boyfriend. “Single” means “is not in a relationship with someone”. A “single woman … In an exclusive relationship” is an oxymoron. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/38 "2013-07-23T00:11:58Z")
It’s a little unethical to hire anyone for _ahem_ under-the-counter labor like that. They miss out on many of the protections we work hard to provide to workers in this country. In a better world, said worker would have protection from workplace hazards, disability and unemployment insurance, and the other things we do to keep our people safe and prosperous. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/39 "2013-07-23T00:26:12Z")
I find it really interesting that there’s quite a lot of conflation between “young” and “attractive” in this thread, including by the OP. The OP only described the woman’s age, relationship status and financial situation, but when **Thudlow Boink** asked him about specifying the woman as being young, one of **astro** ’s reasons conflates young with attractive and old(er) with unattractive: “\*\*realistically, if she is older the marketability of her favors \*\*for bartered services **might be somewhat more limited.** ” **Spud** includes “hot” in his description of the woman, even though no one has actually described her appearance. **glee** was the only one I saw who actually mentioned (or even noticed?) that there was no info about her appearance/level of attractiveness. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/40 "2013-07-23T00:35:02Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I understand why you specified that she is single, but is it significant that she is young, or that she does not make much money? Would people’s answers change if the woman were older? if she had plenty of money? It’s a transaction like any other. What difference does it make her age or means? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225.md?page=3)