Prostitute vs. Porn Star

Is there a difference between a prostitute and a porn star? Isn’t the ultimate goal for both is to exchange sex for goods? This was the topic of discussion in my criminology class in Grad School where we were discussing behaviors that were once legal than later criminalized. One of my classmates defense in favor of pornography over prostitution was that “porn stars do not have to worry about being kidnapped, raped, killed or contracting infectious diseases”. I replied, “INFECTIOUS DISEASES. What? A very low percentage of porn stars wear condoms not to mention that there have been instances where porn stars have contracted not only STD’s but HIV”. Well, needless to say that the topic of porn stars verses prostitutes was quickly changed because the porn star lovers kept equating prostitution with urban dilapidated communities as if prostitutes do not reside in suburban America. Hence, the debate turned a little on the racial side. However, what are your thoughts and why? Is a porn star simply an upgraded prostitute? Or, is it two totally different fields of employment?

Written by: Veronica N. Montgomery