Louise Jane* dispels some of the myths around being a sex worker
When I first met my partner, one of the things he said to me about the sex we were having was, "I love that there's no guessing." He reckoned it was a consequence of being a sex worker and I do too. When you have sex with five or more different people in a day you get quite well practised at communicating what works and doesn't work in the bedroom. If you don't communicate clearly then you risk having long days of boring or bad sex. If you do communicate clearly, sex work can be a pretty enjoyable job.
Before I started, I'd already thought about doing sex work every time I was a bit strapped for cash. I finally took the plunge after I had booked a trip to Europe and wanted more spending money. I was never the type to save myself for meaningful sex and always thought of sex as sporty, something physical and fun to do with my body. Still, I was shaking with nerves as my first client knocked on the door. What if he rejected me for being "too fat" or not pretty enough?
Turns out, most clients of sex workers are just ordinary people looking to have some fun with their own bodies, happy with a bit of skin-on-skin, friendly chit-chat. Also turns out that when the thought crossed my mind that I was being paid for sex, I had an orgasm. So that was a good start.
Itold my best girlfriends that I was doing sex work. One of them said, "Well, if we think it's messing with your head, we'll have an intervention." They never needed to but I appreciate that sex work isn't for everyone.