As someone who has plenty of experience with both escorting and drug addiction, I wrote this purely based on what I came to observe about the relationship between the two.
While it's certainly not true that all escorts are drug addicts, a good percent of them are — like myself.
by Ashly Lorenzana
I honestly feel for the women and men working as escorts who have never done a drug in their lives. It has to be difficult dealing with that stereotype from people who associate the two things all the time. I'd be a little bitter towards all the addicts in my profession if I hadn't been one too.
However, facts are facts. And it's hard to deny that drugs and escorting do often go hand-in-hand. At least in my part of the world (Portland, OR) they do. Where you find one, you can likely find the other.
According to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, the percentage of prostitution arrests that also had associated drug charges were as high as 31% (cocaine) and as low as 8% (methamphetamine) among female arrests between 2003 and 2008.
While it's important to keep in mind that these numbers are based on total number of arrests as opposed to arrestees (many women were arrested more than once during this time), this still makes it clear that there is a connection between the two issues.
Here are a few tips if you're planning on seeing an escort who uses drugs.
- Be extra patient. Escorts who use drugs are often more flaky than girls who don't use, so be aware of this and be prepared to deal with lateness, canceling encounters and disappearances on her end. This is pretty common, so if you know ahead of time that an escort you want to see uses and you're not very understanding of such behaviors, then you might want to keep looking for someone else who can better accommodate you.
- Be extra careful about protecting yourself. While anyone can have an STD, it's probably a good idea to keep in mind that using drugs is sometimes indicative of other risky behaviors. Everything from sharing needles to engaging in unprotected sex while high are things to be concerned about if you want to protect yourself.
- Be more alert. Especially if you're meeting with an escort who uses for the first time and don't know her at all. While I've never personally ripped off a single client, there are many addicts out there who have and would do it to you in an instant. Never treat an escort who uses drugs like she is somehow inferior to one that doesn't. Don't treat her like a thief, but don't open yourself up for being taken advantage or stolen from either. Respect should always be mutual and at the top of the priority list, just be aware of your surroundings at all times.
In my experience, some clients get very upset when you are flaky and don't take it very well at all. I basically don't see them for very long, because I understand that seeing me requires more patience than some are used to. You should definitely take a laid back approach.
The truth of the matter is, drugs make you lose your sense of time better than anything else. And if an escort is not working a normal job also, then she likely has very little sense of time in her life. When there are no consequences for not showing up on time for anything, the effect that drugs have on one's sense of time are doubled, resulting in pretty flaky behavior.
You have to remember that setting a date with an escort who uses drugs is not the same as setting an appointment with your dentist or lawyer. It's just a different game, so different rules apply.
Remember that women are much more than just "escorts" or "drug users". They are human beings and deserve the same understanding and compassion that anyone else does.
The reality is that the US has so far failed to decriminalize these personal choices. While it has never really made any sense to me that prostitution is perfectly legal in a couple counties in Nevada, and illegal everywhere else in the United States, we are not likely to see things change any time soon where this is concerned.
Since legalizing prostitution would probably result in safer "working conditions" for escorts, it's disappointing to instead see all the discrimination they receive for their chosen work.
Trust me, I've dealt with tons of this myself. Having the "escort" stigma is tripled by being a drug addict as well. Lots of people try to stereotype me and think they have me all figured out once they discover those two facts. The way I look at it, their judgment is their loss. I'm not losing sleep over it, that's for sure.
Prostitution is a victimless crime — a personal choice between consenting adults than something that should be a legal matter. Decriminalization or legalization would limit the existing risk for both parties significantly, I would think.