A brothel — or whorehouse — is an establishment where people engage in paid sexual activity (typically sexual intercourse) with prostitutes. Brothels predominantly cater to male clientele. Prostitutes are usually female (80%), although male (16%) and/or transgender prostitutes (4%) are not uncommon.
Proof of the existence of brothels in ancient times goes back to around 2,500 BCE where they could be found among the Sumerians (Mesopotamia), spanning many eras and ancient civilizations since, such as India, China, Japan, ancient Greece, and ancient Rome, and well, up to the global world in our current day and age.
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Depending on the country, brothels may have other (less obvious) names, such as massage parlor, bathhouse, men’s clubs, strip or striptease club, ranch, or studio, among other labels, which finds its rationale and origin in cultural, historic, or legal motives.
Mind that in some countries, brothels are legal business entities, but in most countries they are simply outlawed. Nevertheless, in countries where brothels and/or prostitution are illegal and/or criminalized, brothels typically still exist in some form or another, but operate as an “underground” business.
Moreover, even if illegal they are often tolerated (sometimes against bribes or only if they are sufficiently disguised), or the laws around them are not strictly enforced, either because of the economic value (such as in the case of sex tourism), much needed means of livelihood, or the acceptance that prostitution satisfies an important human need for physical, emotional, and sexual intimacy.
In fact, as already mentioned in the first paragraph, in countries where brothels are illegal they may work under the facade of a legitimate business, such as aforementioned massage parlors, or perhaps as saunas, men’s clubs, or health spas, and so on.
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Brothels may be isolated businesses that physically exist among other types of businesses or sometimes they are located “out of direct public sight” along highways or in the countryside.
Then again, depending on the country or state, province or city, they may also be concentrated in so-called red-light districts, the latter usually being part of urban areas with a concentration of individuals and businesses operating in the sex industry, such as independent sex workers, strip clubs, peep show establishments, sex shops, brothels, and other types of “adult entertainment.”
Just as with brothels, red-light districts may be the legal way of incorporating prostitution and other sex work in a country or city, but it may also be a way of isolating, regulating, or tolerating illegal or “grey” activities only in certain preordained areas.
Some red-light districts have become world famous and right-out tourist attractions, such as De Wallen in Amsterdam (Netherlands), the Reeperbahn in Hamburg (Germany), Patpong and Soi Cowboi in Bangkok (Thailand), and Kabukicho in Tokyo (Japan).
