Chapter 1 describes how sex is sold and who is involved. It is the basis for discussions of risk, choice, regulation, and management in subsequent chapters. Chapter 2 describes the study's methodology of ethnographic "layered access," whereby the author gained acceptance as an outsider. Chapter 3 reflects on the debates that place prostitution on a moral and philosophical plane that encompasses victimization, choice, consent, and sexual occupation. It introduces the 55 women who consented to formal interviews. Chapter 4 develops the argument that a prostitute's decision to accept or reject a client is a complex process of judging "genuineness," as sex workers use strict criteria in deciding whom to trust to honor the contract and provide a safe encounter. Chapter 5 continues the discussion of safety measures that have kept a significant number of sex workers in the study sample from having ever been victims of violence. Chapter 6 describes how the organization of prostitution is significantly influenced by its legal and social sanctions, particularly its quasi-criminalization. Chapter 7 addresses the extent of secrecy in sex workers' lives and relationships outside of work as they attempt to avoid the shame of "being discovered." Chapter 8 argues that the emotional risks of selling sex are an occupational hazard equal to any of the other risks in terms of adverse impact on the woman's life. Chapter 9 summarizes the profile of prostitution as a managed risky business. A 358-item bibliography and a subject index