# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/41 "2013-07-23T00:40:10Z")
What happens if, as a result of this no-strings-attached sex, she ends up pregnant? The possibility must at least be considered. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/42 "2013-07-23T00:48:55Z")
> [@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. I gather the qualifiers in the OP are up there to garner sympathy from the more conservative types. But your qualifiers also do another thing. They imply said woman isn’t exactly happy with this barter. I mention this because a few people up thread said “as long as both parties are happy.” Do the opinions change if it is known that she really isn’t happy with said barter but doing it because she feels it was the only was out of her quagmire? Ans is it still ethical if the mechanic knows this? Sans the qualifiers in the OP, I’d say it’s ethical. Otherwise I’m a little wary. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/43 "2013-07-23T00:52:17Z")
It’s all well and good until the women suddenly find that the purchasing power of their money is dramatically deflated because all the mechanics found a very compelling reason to quote $1,200 for an oil change. If it’s between two consenting adults, fine, but economic transactions seldom can be relied upon to have such isolated effects. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/44 "2013-07-23T01:25:19Z")
Let’s forget about ethics for a moment, which doesn’t come into this at all anyway, in my opinion, unless the woman is coerced. Is a transaction of this nature really illegal? I am not a lawyer. My question is sincere. Isn’t it simply a barter of services? I don’t believe prostitution should be illegal, but isn’t the transfer of cash what makes it illegal? ---
**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 23, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/45 "2013-07-23T01:30:12Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Is a transaction of this nature really illegal? I am not a lawyer. My question is sincere. Isn’t it simply a barter of services? > > I don’t believe prostitution should be illegal, but isn’t the transfer of cash what makes it illegal? I’m pretty sure a transaction of this sort would be illegal at least in the sense that you can’t make it an enforceable contract. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/46 "2013-07-23T01:38:24Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > 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. I’m not sure why it’s “interesting”. It’s just reality that (overall) younger women are usually perceived as more sexually attractive than older women. A younger woman’s sexual services are generally considerably more marketable than an older woman’s sexual services. If she is able to make the bargain of sex for repairs I think there has to be a common sense assumption that she has some reasonable baseline level of attractiveness. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/47 "2013-07-23T01:41:31Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > It’s a transaction like any other. What difference does it make her age or means? Women are varied in age, size, appearance, and attractiveness. There isn’t really a standard. IOW, you gots your “Ones” and you gots your “Tens”. Like George Carlin once said: "I’ve never fucked a “10”, but I’ve fucked 5 “2s” in one night! I’ll definitely change a tire or or do an oil change for a “10”, but maybe not a “2”. 😃 I currently live with a “10”, so maybe I’m just picky. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/48 "2013-07-23T01:45:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Onomatopoeia** : > > Let’s forget about ethics for a moment, which doesn’t come into this at all anyway, in my opinion, unless the woman is coerced. > > Is a transaction of this nature really illegal? I am not a lawyer. My question is sincere. Isn’t it simply a barter of services? > > I don’t believe prostitution should be illegal, but isn’t the transfer of cash what makes it illegal? IANAL, but I believe most prostitution statutes specify money “or other things of equivalent value”, or similar verbiage. They wouldn’t want to leave a loophole for, say, an exchange of sex for drugs. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/49 "2013-07-23T02:13:56Z")
Don’t ask. Even law makers aren’t sure anymore. ---
**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, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/50 "2013-07-23T02:24:54Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > Women are varied in age, size, appearance, and attractiveness. There isn’t really a standard. > IOW, you gots your “Ones” and you gots your “Tens”. > Like George Carlin once said: "I’ve never fucked a “10”, but I’ve fucked 5 “2s” in one night! > > I’ll definitely change a tire or or do an oil change for a “10”, but maybe not a “2”. 😃 > I currently live with a “10”, so maybe I’m just picky. 😉 I meant to the ethics of the offer, not the efficacy of the offer. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/51 "2013-07-23T02:53:51Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > 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. Ever had one seriously over estimate what they expected in return? I suppose after they do you, you could offer them the frequent visitor 10% discount. In response to the OP, I have no moral issue with the transaction, I see it as just a form of bartering for goods or services provided there’s no power imbalance or coercion. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/52 "2013-07-23T05:40:09Z")
In response to the OP, I believe that it’s unethical for the man to accept the offer. He should instead point the woman towards some social services or charity organization that could financially assist her. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/53 "2013-07-23T07:00:19Z")
Is this, for example, a buddy of hers who is happy to do her a favor and she’s happy to do one for him back? Or is this some woman who is about to get fired if she misses another day of work and is going to hate herself for doing this, and she’s clearly distraught as she tries to negotiate a payment plan, but he decides to take advantage of her desperate predicament instead? First one, cool. Second one, he’s unethical and sleazy. Something in the middle, I don’t know, life is full of grey areas. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/54 "2013-07-23T13:32:49Z")
So let’s see if I’ve got this straight. Sex is normally something that happens between two people because they both want it to happen and they each enjoy it, but I’m so desperately unattractive that you can’t see yourself ever wanting to do it with me as between equals. What you want instead is four, five, maybe six hours of my expensively-acquired skills (and I’m guessing you’ll expect any necessary parts thrown in) and in exchange for this you’re prepared to offer sex. Which, because you’re so far out of my league, you consider a more than reasonable payment, even an overly-generous one on your part. Since you’re not attracted to me I’m further supposing that you’ll consider the deal upheld as long as I get off, or after you’ve given me what you figure a reasonable time to, and I’ve no reason to expect you to care about my enjoyment or doing what you can to ensure it, the way you might if you were doing it for pleasure. Finally, if you get knocked up then it’s your choice as to what to do about it (as it’s your body) and if a baby results then I’m on the hook for it (because we have to consider the child’s rights). And because we’re not done insulting and patronising me, we want to ask if _I’m_ a sleazeball for going along with this suggestion? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/55 "2013-07-23T13:35:52Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > In response to the OP, I believe that it’s unethical for the man to accept the offer. He should instead point the woman towards some social services or charity organization that could financially assist her. But what if she had really nice boobs? And you like nice boobs? Just sayin’… ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/56 "2013-07-23T13:53:23Z")
As long as both agree to the activity and the price, it’s as ethical as any other transaction. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/57 "2013-07-23T14:15:16Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > It’s a little unethical to hire anyone for _ahem_ under-the-counter labor like that. Hehe you said “under the counter”. Seriously, though - I think it is unethical if he asks her, but if she’s offering, provided it’s not because she’s completely desperate and normally wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole, I have a hard time not seeing it as a gray area. **Malacandra** women don’t just not sleep with men because they are not attracted to them. We also don’t just sleep with men because we are attracted to them. Many, many complicating factors. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/58 "2013-07-23T14:15:42Z")
I think it’s ethical so long as neither of them enjoys it. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/59 "2013-07-23T15:14:40Z")
Unethical? I don’t know. Prostitution? Certainly. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225/60 "2013-07-23T15:37:49Z")
I have some ethical concerns but they don’t involve a concern about the woman’s ethics in the scenario posited in the OP. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-for-a-single-young-woman-to-trade-sex-for-services/664225.md?page=4)