The perception of sex workers in the Czech Republic often revolves around the belief that they are exclusively found on the streets, struggling with addiction, under the control of pimps, and willing to offer their services for minimal compensation. However, the reality is far more complex, as the sex industry encompasses a range of categories. While some sex workers do operate on the streets and face difficult circumstances, others offer their services in massage parlors, small hotels, or from their own apartments. High-end escorts and professional sex workers, who often work independently and charge substantial fees, also form part of this diverse industry.
In the Czech Republic, there are approximately 13,000 sex workers with various motivations for entering the profession. Some are drawn to the potential for significant earnings at a young age, as the average age of a sex worker is around 30. Others view it as a means to fund their education or to support their families, with up to 60% of sex workers being students or single mothers with three or more children. Most plan to exit the industry once they achieve their financial goals, and many believe that they are providing a valuable service to men by helping them save their marriages or cope with loneliness during business trips.
Contrary to popular belief, research involving 103 men aged 18-70 has shown that many clients of sex workers are not driven by sex addiction or intoxication. The most common reason cited for visiting a sex worker was to satisfy an immediate sexual desire. Other reasons included seeking specific physical, racial, or sexual traits, dissatisfaction with their current relationships, and a desire for a connection without emotional commitment.
Around 40% of men who visit sex workers are looking for novelty, variety, or something they cannot find in their current relationships. Infidelity is a widespread issue, with approximately 50% of the population experiencing it at some point in their lives. A 2021 study of 441 individuals revealed that 46% of respondents in monogamous relationships had been unfaithful, with nearly 24% of marriages continuing after infidelity and 47.5% of relationships implementing new rules to minimize the likelihood of further affairs.
In the Czech Republic, a 2016 study by STEM/MARK reported that 37% of Czechs in long-term relationships had cheated on their partners. Of the 980 heterosexual respondents aged 15 to 59, over half had a one-time affair, while a third hoped to prolong their extramarital relationships. Multiple affairs were reported by one in twenty-five participants. Notably, 6% of respondents admitted to same-sex affairs, with a quarter of those surveyed not considering such encounters as infidelity. Nearly two-fifths of participants indicated they would forgive a partner if the affair ended, while only three in ten said they would leave their long-term partner over an affair.