User:Jsanchez41/Prostitution in Mexico

Sex worker perception

A big part of sex workers struggles have to do with their own perception of ones self. A common trend amongst all type of sex workers, men and women alike, is that they often suffer with negative feelings of self worth mentally and physically; often times feeling dirty and unclear due to the nature of their line of work.

When bringing up the topic of male sex workers in Mexico, masculinity is a big part of what can be negatively effected by social stigmas. Mexico as a county overall follows the idea of machismo, meaning many of the men have a sense of strong and aggressive masculine pride which results in them seeing themselves as above women in many aspects of society, so to see a man engage in this line of work, especially if its homosexual sex work, it can strip away their sense of masculinity and bring upon more shame to them that extends that of just being a regular sex worker.

Female sex workers aren't without their own fair share of criticism towards their femininity, however. Due to the strong hold that religion has on Mexico, sexual intimacy as a whole is heavenly scrutinized, especially when referring to women. If sexual intimacy isn't done in a way that is socially acceptable, then they can be looked down upon, being called sinful and wrong. When that negative view is applied to prostitution, it gets amplified and is seen as evil, and any woman who doesn't abide by these stigmas is ultimately stripped of their womanhood.

Sex Trafficking

A big part of the reason that so many young women under the age of 18 are getting trafficked is largely due to the fact that there's a lack of identifiable reasons that a victim would be at risk since the population is hidden in nature. However, lack of literacy and awareness, growing up in high poverty area, and traveling/migrating alone can put individuals at high risk for being trafficked.

Child Prostitutes

Many children also join sex work in order to escape from abusive home lives. Getting physically abused and in some cases sexually abused in their homes could result in children running away and finding comfort and protection in places like brothels or pimps. The overall combination of inexperience, fear, and lack of support is what led many young women to be taken advantage of and used for sex work.

General Information

Sex worker relationships didn't only occur and end in Mexican brothels, however. Many women deemed young and attractive enough by American tourists would be given the opportunity to return with the men to the United stated and stay for a few years across state lines. When a few years passed and the sex tourists would lose interest, the sex worker would return to their former workplace because their youth had faded and were "no longer required up north".

Additionally, American sex tourist's that traveled specifically for sex workers weren't the only customer base for sex workers. A large portion of customers near the border were agricultural laborers. Some women would live in mobile homes, moving across fields in order to serbvice workers. Many of these young men would want younger women, asking specifically for women between the ages 15 to 35, paying less for anyone over that limit.