Types of Prostitution
Street: Clients solicited on the street, park or other public (United States, Europe, United Kingdom, Australasia)
places. Serviced in side streets, vehicles, or short stay socioeconomic breakdown (eastern Europe, parts of
premises Africa, south and South East Asia, and Latin America)
Brothel: Premises explicitly dedicated to providing sex. (Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, India, Europe,
Better security than street. Often licensed by authorities Latin America)
Escort: Client contacts sex worker by phone or via hotel United States escorts and private workers contacted by
staff. Most covert form of sex work. Relatively expensive phone and working from a ‘call book’ are known as ‘call
because of low client turnover. Service provided at client’s girls’ or ‘call men’
home or hotel room
Private: Client contacts sex worker by phone. Similar to United Kingdom, Europe, United States, and Australia.
escorts except services provided in sex worker’s premises. Sometimes doorway (see below) and street sex workers
A variant in London and other big cities is ‘flat’ bring clients home
prostitution—high cost services in rented, serviced, inner
city units
Window or doorway: Brothels with sex workers on public Amsterdam and Hamburg. Doorway prostitution found in
display. Windows preferred in cold climates, doorways in less affluent areas of European cities and in African and
warmer places other developing countries
Club, pub, bar, karaoke bar, dance hall: Clients solicited in Everywhere depending on types of male club available
alcohol vending venues and serviced on site or elsewhere
Door knock or hotel: Unattached males are approached in Hotels worldwide and wherever large numbers of
their hotel rooms or boarding houses unaccompanied males reside
Transport (ship, truck, train): Sex workers may board Everywhere
vehicles to service the crew or passengers or pick up
clients at stations and terminals
CB radio: Sex workers drive along highways using CB radio United States
to exchange (jargon) messages with potential truck driver
clients. Serviced at truck stops or parking areas
Other methods of solicitation: Through various media Particularly the United Kingdom and Sweden where
including noticeboard and newspaper advertisements, ‘sex legislation limits other forms of advertising
worker catalogues’ with mobile phone numbers, the
internet via virtual brothels, etc. Services are delivered
mostly in brothels and other indoor venues
Bondage and discipline: sexual fantasy through role play. unique to wealthier countries
May involve the inflicting of pain, but genital contact is not
routine
Lap dancing: A recent development involving erotic wealthier countries—often takes place in hotels and clubs
dancing at close quarters without sexual contact
Massage parlour/Barbershop: Premises ostensibly Europe, South East Asia, and Australia
dedicated to providing massage, but a range of sexual
services may be provided.
Travelling entertainers: Actors, dancers and others South East Asia
involved in entertainment may also provide sexual
services
Beer girls: Young women hired by major companies to Cambodia, Uganda, other developing countries
promote and sell products in bars and clubs. Sexual
services sold to supplement income
Street vendors and traders: Ostensibly marketing rural developing countries
produce or other goods but supplementing income with
sexual services
Opportunistic: A person approached in a social venue may Anywhere
occasionally choose to charge for sexual favours if the
client appears wealthy enough
Femme libre: Women, usually single or divorced, who Central Africa
exchange sexual services for gifts. The gifts are then
converted to cash
Swingers clubs: Some swingers or couples sex clubs Predominantly wealthier countries
employ (undisclosed) sex workers if there is a shortage of
female guests
Individual arrangements: The single mother who may Anywhere
have sex with her landlord in place of rent. Older sex
workers who only deal with a small number of regular
clients, by appointment
Geisha: Women engaged primarily to provide social Japanese cities
company, but sex may ensue
Sex for drugs’: Women providing fellatio for crack cocaine
in crack houses. Young homosexual men in Western United States
countries may provide opportunistic sexual services paid
with drugs
Survival sex: A matter of degree, where starvation or Refugee camps anywhere
other serious deprivation is imminent, particularly for
dependants. Food or security may be the currency, rather
than money
Prostitution. (2008). What Are the Different Types of Prostitution? - Prostitution - ProCon.org. [online] Available at: https://prostitution.procon.org/questions/what-are-
the-different-types-of-prostitution/.
