Should you stay with a man who buys sex?

The Slate advice column is always ripe with feminist fodder. This latest one may take the cake though.
A woman writes in to columnist Prudie about her “honest” and “loving” boyfriend who had sex with a prostitute in Asia while on a business trip.

What makes things more confusing is that while he was away, my mom spilled the beans that right before he left, he visited her to ask permission to propose to me. He had even purchased a ring. My mom said they were both so happy they cried. I wasn’t surprised to hear about my boyfriend’s impending proposal, because we had been talking about marriage for a while now that we have finished our graduate schooling and gotten jobs. How could he do such a thing to me, especially when we were on the verge of starting a bright new life together? My boyfriend is extremely remorseful, telling me that he is shocked as well at his own behavior and has never felt so low in his life.

She asks if she should bail or stick it out. Prudie’s advice in its entirety:

Did he use a condom? Even if he did, he should get screened for sexually transmitted diseases. Assuming he didn’t bring any new microbes into your relationship, he did introduce doubt. However, his brief encounter with a poor, nameless woman should not be a threat to your future. He slipped, and felt sick enough about it to confess to you what he certainly could have gotten away with. His shame is so thoroughgoing that it sounds like he will be the most faithful and devoted of husbands. To atone, he should make a contribution to an organization that fights international sexual exploitation—International Justice Mission is one. Then you and he should get on with that bright, new life together.

The “most faithful and devoted of husbands?” Seriously?
Ok, I have mixed feelings on people who have cheated–I think if you’re building a life together, forgiving someone for cheating is understandable. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. The big question isn’t whether he’s remorseful about betraying her trust. To me, it’s about whether or not you really want to be with someone who is fine and dandy about buying sex and commodifying women. Personally, there ain’t no fucking way I would stay with someone who bought sex.
But then, after saying this to myself out loud as I read the column, I felt conflicted. Because I support sex workers’ rights. How do I reconcile my belief that it’s morally wrong to commodify sex with my support of women who do sex work? But then I realized that I don’t have to. I can want to ensure the safety and rights (health, work and otherwise) of sex workers while still believing that buying bodies isn’t right.
While I was working through this, I had some IM conversations with Jill and Amanda. And they both pointed out the fact that this all happened in Asia is super relevant as there’s a much better chance (rather than say in Amsterdam) that the woman was coerced or at the very least in a precarious economic situation. As Amanda said to me, “I think men should avoid prostitutes, but I find it much easier to understand slipping up with someone who’s got health care, freedom, etc.”
Thoughts?

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