Working at Nevada Brothels: Q&A

I began working in the Nevada brothel system almost 10 years ago, and am writing this to share insight. I’m not trying to encourage or discourage people from working in the brothels, but rather to provide important information, as I believe in being able to make informed decisions no matter what we do.

-How long do I stay at the brothel? It varies. Some brothels have minimum stay requirements, such as a week or two, and some don’t. I like to stay for two weeks at a time. After two weeks, I’m ready to go and I’m usually able to get a good amount of business during that amount of time, even if it’s slow for part of it.

-Do we live in the rooms we see clients in? At many brothels, yes. However, there are a few, such as the Shady Lady and Bikini’s, where we live in separate rooms.

-Do brothels have computer access? Many do, but my experience is that it’s often slow and at times isn’t working. Many also have Wi-Fi if you bring your laptop. At Bikini’s you can even bring a desktop and set it up in your room.

-Do brothels provide meals? Many provide dinner and some provide more meals, but you can also bring your own food. However, I learned that the Cherry Patch doesn’t allow this and requires you to buy food from the brothel. I haven’t worked there, but have heard this from various sex workers who did.

-Do all houses require line-ups? Line-ups are typical, but Bikini’s doesn’t have line-ups. It’s a mixture of a strip club and a brothel, where the sex workers can dance for the clients and chat with them at the bar, rather than doing line-ups. Many houses also have bars in addition to line-ups, and some customers can go to the bar and chat with the sex workers before selecting somebody rather than getting line-ups.
They can also request a sex worker without a line-up, and in some cases, they schedule appointments ahead of time. I can’t speak for everybody, but for me, customers have always showed up after scheduling appointments.

-What’s the relationship like between the sex workers? Since we live together while we’re at the brothels, we sometimes bond and develop friendships. I’ve gotten along with the vast majority of sex workers I’ve worked with. However, sometimes tensions arise between sex workers for a variety of reasons.

-What do we do during line-ups? Typically, just say, “hi, I’m (your name).” Physical contact (beyond handshakes at some brothels) and flirtiness aren’t typically allowed during line-ups and are often considered “dirty hustling”. I learned that line-ups are a skill and talent and it’s important to be conscious of our pace (how fast we walk and shake the customers’ hands) and our tone of voice. I’m careful to smile, walk slowy, shake their hands slowly (at brothels where we shake hands with customers), and speak slowly so I come across as relaxed, rather than rushed, anxious, or nervous.

-How can I attract clients to the brothel? You can post photos on the brothels’ websites, as well as here: http://www.sex-in-nevada.com/choice.htm . You can also post on this very active discussion board: http://sex-in-nevada.net/smforum/index.php .

-How often do I need to be tested for STI’s: The blood tests are once a month and in Nye County, you need to get tested again if you’re off the brothel premises for more than a day. I’m not sure if that’s a statewide law or just Nye County. We also get weekly cultures, which are like mini pap smears.

-Do I pay for my own STI testing? Yes

-How much is room rent? It various per brothel, though typically $20-$35.

-How much of the money that I bring in do I get to keep? The brothels typically take 50 percent of what we book for, though there could be a few with a 60-40 percent split in the sex workers’ favor. I heard that the Wild Kat and Dovetail are 60-40 houses, but this was years ago, so I’m not sure if it’s still the same. In addition to that, we also pay room rent at many of the brothels and some also charge additional fees, such as for linens and book keeping.

-Can we work shifts? At many of the houses near Reno, yes. Not usually at the other houses, though some close overnight.

-What are the clients like? The vast majority of my clients have been very kind and respectful, and I enjoy being with them. However, it’s always important to be careful and we can encounter unkind, disrespectful people in any industry. The clients are a variety of people, different types of personalities, occupations, hobbies, interests, etc.

-Are condoms required? Condoms are required for vaginal, anal, or oral penetration. (However, not all houses allow anal.) My experience is that clients come to brothels knowing that they’ll need to use condoms for these types of acts and they’re interested in safety, so they rarely try to resist.

-How old do people have to be to work at the brothels? At least 18-years-old, and in some counties (such as Nye) 21-years-old.

-Do we set our own prices? Yes, but many brothels have house minimums that we can’t go below. Also, the Shady Lady and Inez’s have posted prices for basic sessions.

I hope this info. is helpful. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.