Men are much more likely to report having paid for sex than women; however, there are probably more women paying for sex than we think. In today’s show, we’re going to do a deep dive into the world of women who pay for sex. We’ll be exploring what their experiences are like, why some women see paying for sex as being safer than having casual sex, and more. My guest is Dr. Hilary Caldwell, a sex worker, author, academic, and sexologist. Her bold political memoir, Slutdom: Reclaiming Shame-Free Sexuality, challenges the enduring impact of slut shaming and argues for a world in which everyone can pursue pleasure without fear, stigma, or coercion. Some of the specific topics we explore include: Why is there less research on women who pay for sexual services relative to men? How common is it for women to have paid for sex before? Why do some women who patronize sex workers don’t consider themselves to have bought sex? What are some of the main motivations for women to purchase sexual services? What are women’s experiences with purchasing sex like? Do they tend to feel stigmatized? You can check out Hilary’s website to learn more about her work. Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology. *** Thank you to our sponsors! Expand your sexual horizons with Beducated! Featuring more than 100 online courses taught by the experts, Beducated brings pleasure-based sex ed directly into your bedroom. Enjoy a free trial today and get 50% off their yearly pass by using LEHMILLER as the coupon code. To redeem this offer, visit: https://beducate.me/lehmiller-june Passionate about building a career in sexuality? Check out the Sexual Health Alliance. With SHA, you’ll connect with world-class experts and join an engaged community of sexuality professionals from around the world. Visit SexualHealthAlliance.com and start building the sexuality career of your dreams today. *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Bluesky to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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