Sugar Baby vs Prostitution: How Society Views Each Profession

Allegations of prostitution in disguise have always been floating around the sugar dating world. Even though sugar daddies and sugar babies are not something new, women in sugar relationships are still called fille de joie. But are sugar babies prostitutes?
Read on and find out the difference between sugar daddy relationships and prostitution in the eyes of society and modern law.
The difference between sugar babies and prostitutes
Some people use the terms sugar baby and prostitute to talk about women who engage in mutually beneficial relationships. But is being a sugar baby prostitution?
There is a key difference between sugar baby and prostitution:
- Nature of the relationship.
Most sugar babies and sugar daddies or sugar mommies have a mutually beneficial relationship that is based on companionship and emotional connection. Even though a sugar daddy helps his sugar baby financially, gives gifts, or provides mentorship, it’s not a transactional arrangement. On the other hand, call girls have sexual encounters solely with the intention to exchange a sex arrangement for money. - Duration.
A sugar relationship can be both short-term and long-term, depending on what a particular sugar daddy and baby agree on. And sex workers usually meet a person for one night, and sometimes they might have regulars, but it can barely count for a long-term relationship. - Sexual relationship.
Around 95% of sugar daddies expect some sort of intimacy from the young women they date. But there are also no-sex arrangements (platonic sugar relationships) and cyber sugar arrangements (when SB and SD/SM exchange messages, call, and do video chat on sugar dating sites). And in the case of prostitution sexual act is key to the “relationship” as it is the way to get money.
However, there is sugar dating prostitution that is different from a traditional sugar relationship. In such cases, a sugar daddy offers PPM (Pay Per Meet) arrangements which are basically a romantic date and no-strings-attached sex.
But not all PPM relationships are sugar dating prostitution, as they can also be based on companionship and be long-term. But the PPM type of financial support can be just a preference or a more cost-effective choice for a sugar daddy if he can’t meet his SB every week.
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Counterarguments against labeling sugar babies as prostitutes
While some people may argue that sugar babies engage in prostitution, it’s important to understand the important distinction between many young women who are seeking arrangements on the sites and offline:
- Freedom. SBs have the freedom to negotiate the terms of relationships they are comfortable with. There is no obligation to have sex if they don’t feel like it on a particular date. While sex work is a part of the job.
- Emotional connection. Sugar dating is based on companionship and getting emotional needs met alongside financial support. Sugar daddies take their women on dates and have other forms of romance. Prostitution, on the other hand, is focusing on the exchange of sex for money.
- Money. Young girls get financial support from their sugar daddies in the form of monthly/weekly allowance or PPM, as financial support. They also might get gifts, vacations, tuition fully paid, and other perks. On the other hand, a sex worker gets paid directly for sex.
So, is having a sugar daddy prostitution? No, it isn’t. And sugar babies should not be labeled sex work women if it is a traditional sugar daddy arrangement.



Exploring the motives behind being a sugar baby or a prostitute
Also, another thing that distinguishes a sugar baby from a woman who sells her body, is the motive to do so.
For sure, ladies who are seeking arrangements of both types might have different stories, but generally:
- Sugar dating motives. Young people who start sugar dating usually seek financial support, mentorship, networking opportunities, or a chance to experience a more lavish lifestyle.
- Prostitution motives. Motivations for engaging in prostitution are usually more directly linked to financial necessity. And many young women who engage in such sexual activities see it as easy money. Also, there is sex trafficking, where women don’t choose to get such “jobs”.
As you can see the motives of seeking these two types of arrangements are different, which only adds to the dissimilarity of the two terms.
The legality of sugar babies and prostitution
Another important nuance about sugar baby vs prostitute is the legality of the two.
According to the law, Prostitution is illegal throughout the majority of the US, with the sole exception of a few rural counties in Nevada. And legality in the rest of the world depends on the particular country. For example, prostitution is legal in Austria, Spain, and Brazil, but it’s illegal in China, United Arab Emirates, and Lithuania. But is being a sugar baby illegal in these countries too?
If short, no. First, we want to answer the question is being a sugar baby considered prostitution? And the answer is NO, as prostitution is defined as engaging, agreeing, or offering to engage in sex and other things of sexual nature with another person in exchange for money.
Therefore, sugar dating lies in the gray area, and if it is following traditional practices and is not illegal. But it can become illegal if one sugar daddy is paying a hot girl just to spend a night.
Also, it’s important to mention that the activity of sugar dating apps and websites is also regulated by the law. For example, under the FOSTA-SESTA package, an online platform for sugar dating is held liable for hosting anything that is described as prostitution.
The potential dangers and risks associated with sugar babies and prostitution
Both SBs and working girls have many risks associated with their jobs. Let’s explore the main ones!
#1 Exploitation
There is a chance of exploitation in both prostitution and relationships with sugar babies. People who engage in these activities may encounter situations where they feel pressured, tricked, or used by their partners or customers.
As sugar daddies or mommas pay for everything, they create an imbalance in power, which can result in physical, emotional, or financial exploitation. To avoid it, it’s important to be always cautious with a sugar partner and make truth checks.
And prostitution is at the core, very exploitative in nature, as not only women are selling their bodies, but they also paying cuts to their “agency” for establishing those “dates”. Some of the ladies get barely support in their lives which results in them continuing to lead the same life.
#2 Safety & Violence
Prostitution and sugar baby relationships carry higher risks of physical injury, such as assault, sexual violence, and other types of abuse. Meeting new people and engaging in personal activities might put people in danger, especially if precautions are not done on all sides. That’s why if anything feels off at any point, it’s important to leave the relationship immediately.
Also, in the case of sugar dating, some websites that claim to be sites for SB-SD relationships are scammers, they want to steal money, banking information, or other sensitive data. That’s why it’s important to pick a site that has a good reputation and strict moderation and avoid paying on a website you are not sure is secure.
#3 Psychological and physical impact
Participating in both of these activities might have a major emotional cost. Sugar babies could feel like objects, have low self-esteem, or lose their sense of independence. People who engage in prostitution may experience psychological trauma, feelings of humiliation, and an increased risk of mental health problems.
Also, there higher risk of getting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and other health problems when people engage in intimate behaviors with many partners. To reduce these risks, it’s important to practice safe sex behaviors like using condoms, getting tested for STIs often, and maintaining personal boundaries.
#4 Legal consequences
As we talked about above, not real sugar baby relationships and prostitution can be illegal in some jurisdictions. Engaging in unlawful actions may result in criminal charges and potential legal consequences such as fines, imprisonment, or a criminal record, depending on the law of the particular country or state.
#5 Financial dependency
People who live the sugar baby lifestyle occasionally risk becoming reliant on their partners for financial support. This may make it challenging to achieve financial independence, get a better job, or meet other personal goals. Financial dependency also increases the things SBs tolerate in the relationship, as they just can’t afford to leave the relationship.
And people who engage in prostitution are also highly dependent on getting a partner every day or other day to get enough to cover present expenses like rent or food, as well as pay cuts if they work for the “agency”.
Conclusion: making informed choices and understanding the consequences
Sugar babies and prostitutes are not the same. But as both terms have many similarities, it is important to understand the potential risks and dangers connected to them. If you are curious about becoming a sugar baby, it’s important to educate yourself on the matter and make informed choices before you create a SB profile on the website.
Video: Are “Sugar Babies” prostitutes?
FAQ
No. Sugar babies who have sugar daddies are not courtesans unless they are not dating older men following the traditions of sugar arrangements, but getting money or gifts for sexual conduct.
Some argue that SBs are sex workers because a sugar relationship may also include intimacy. However, it’s not the main intention of the relationship, as it is with traditional dating. Sugar daddies seek a woman to enjoy the luxuries of life, get emotional support, and don’t be too bothered with the drama that having a traditional girlfriend entails.
Being a sugar baby, having a sugar daddy, and registering on sugar dating websites is not a crime under the law if a SB is careful and not crossing a thin line of getting paid for an intimate relationship.