“It’s the only profession where men earn less than women,” says Sacha. At 48 years old, this prostitute who testifies anonymously in Le Monde, recounts the sometimes banal daily life, sometimes much less so, of a profession which is much less so: that of a sex worker.

Through her testimony, the inhibition of female desires is especially evident in a social system which still restricts the expression of a free and fulfilled sexuality for many women. So he presents himself as a “kind of social worker” whose work is the expression of “social and activist commitment”.

During this testimony, Sacha recounts how, tired of a career as a “senior technician in ecology” and after burnout, he gradually used his body to earn a living. Already comfortable with nudity, and a fan of various sexual practices such as bondage and sadomasochism, he was one day invited by a friend to perform a striptease during a party. He was later hired as an escort by an agency which officially invoices for accompanying services at the theater, at the cinema, in the evening, etc. This one has a particularity: it gives its escorts the names of famous actors . “In the catalog, I was ‘Richard Gere’”, relates Sacha.

He says he suffered from “imposter syndrome”: “how do I tell myself “I deserve to be paid for this”? And then I understood that my practices are varied, that this allows me to encompass a lot of requests. I’m not selling my body, I’m selling a service,” he assures.

On this famous “service”, the one who defines himself as a “sex therapist” also provides details. Contacted through his Facebook page, his only showcase, Sacha begins by chatting with his potential clients by messaging in order to learn more about their desires, their fantasies, their possible fears.

With the most motivated (20 to 30% of his interlocutors do not go further than letter exchanges), he then organizes the meeting. It then borrows the codes of BDSM enthusiasts (bondage, domination, sadomasochism): systematic and regular verification of consent, choice of a password allowing the relationship to be terminated (“safeword”), choice of color codes to signal what is pleases… or what bothers.

He thus organizes “one to four meetings per week”, mostly in the evening and sometimes all night long. “My clients make appointments a month in advance,” he says, “and some have their favorite days: “Teachers often have Wednesdays!”

He assures that he practices a “decreasing rate depending on the number of hours”, the amount being paid in cash. His income would only bring him the equivalent of a monthly minimum wage. Undeclared, they would therefore not be subject to tax or contributions and therefore do not enter into the calculation of their retirement.

He also provides a typical profile of his clientele, which he hesitates to call “patients”, made up of women aged over 45 for the most part and from diverse backgrounds, and rather well-off: “they work in the bank , insurance, and even politics!” seek help for various reasons ranging from sexual difficulties to the need to reclaim their body.

Some are “faithful” who visit him several times a month or whom he has “accompanied” for several years. They are the ones who take criminal risks. “But the law being made by and for men, none of my clients has ever been worried,” he assures.

“Social pressure still imprisons women a lot in an approach to sexuality where they must only be desirable, therefore passive,” points out the witness. The latter says he wants them to confide in each other, to express their “most shameful fantasies”, and to flourish. With limits of course: he would have refused to reenact a rape at the request of a client.

Sacha especially praises the beneficial effects of sexual pleasure for morale, without insisting on its physiological benefits, which are also proven. Beyond these considerations, he believes that his approach allows in a certain way to reconcile the women he meets with their bodies, their desires, their sensuality. “They have before their eyes a style exercise in non-toxic sexuality,” he claims, arguing that during a moment in his company “they will have had the experience of a benevolent penis, not phallocrat nor selfish. “