Happy Endings and Human Trafficking

I recently recieved a comment inquiring if I do "happy endings". First of all I would just like to say how excited I am to have recieved a comment (yayyyyyyy!!!!). Secondly, no - real massage therapy is strictly therapeutic. For those of you who don't know, a happy ending is ....(I'm looking it up on Google right now, hold on)...when a "massuese" finishes a massage session with either oral sex or manual release....ew. Unfortunately, there are many women (and men) out there that pose as massage therapists when they are, in fact, sex workers. They advertise things like “erotic massage,” “full body service,” “table shower,” or “oriental massage.” It is almost always called a “massage parlor.”It really frustrates me that this occurs because it brings such a bad name to massage therapy and portrays the idea that anyone who does muscle work is a hooker of some sort. This simply is not true.
            There is a tragic side to this kind of prostitution. Massage parlors are a hotbed of human trafficking, specifically sex trafficking. Over 95% of reported sex offers/acts (that occur during a massage session) in the state of Florida come from women of Oriental descent. They are brought from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, etc. under the promise of working jobs in the hospitality industry, hotel business, etc. only to learn upon arrival to the U.S. that their job has changed and they owe a large debt for their travel expenses. They are told that they will work it off by performing sexual acts on men for a set price in these parlors. Most have locked gates and security systems so the girls are not able to get out. These victims are often threatened, coerced, given drugs, and abused in order to keep them obedient and quiet. The saddest thing about this increasing epidemic is that many of the victims are children. Some parlors even have an added charge to customers who request children. Although I am very disappointed that my profession is mixed up in stereotypes of prostitution, I just feel so sad by the fact that this is happening all around us. It can happen in any state. It can happen in any neighborhood. It can happen next door. My point is, it happens. To learn more or to find out how you can help visit www.humantrafficking.org.

Trafficking articles:

http://articles.sfgate.com/2007-05-18/bay-area/17244817_1_massage-parlors-asian-massage-human-trafficking
http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=2008lydersen-trafficking
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=158807
http://www.texasmonthly.com/2010-04-01/feature3.php
http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/sex-trafficking-in-the-us/massage-parlors