ABSTRACT
Prostitution is the exchange of sexual activity for payment. While not "the oldest profession," prostitution certainly has been one of the more controversial. In most of the United States and in many places throughout the world, prostitution is illegal. At the same time, prostitution not only persists, but it is the only job other than modeling in which women within the occupation are generally paid more than men. While most but not all prostitutes are women, those who purchase sex are primarily men. Thus, understanding prostitution entails confronting both gender differences in the social construction and control of sexuality and the economic contexts that make the commercial sale of sex possible.
