You’d expect The Guardian’s readers to be more enlightened that most other newspapers, just how wrong you can be these letters where published in Fridays paper in response to Julie Bindel’s article Why men use prostitutes.

All men pay for sex, the only difference, the only difference is whether the payment is direct or indirect. Your article deals with direct payment – equivalent to rent, whereas marriage is more like a mortgage. Just think how many wives give hubby “a bit” to obtain holidays, outfits, gifts, etc. Most women have a touch of the prostitute about them. Unpalatable but true. Jim.

How would you prevent prostitution? I doubt you could, and why would you want to? Why not legalise and regulate it? That would be a far more effective way to prevent participants from being exploited than driving the industry deeper underground. And although most men would prefer their sexuality fulfilled in the context of a relationship, the reality is that many relationships don’t fulfil either partner’s sexual needs. One might conclude that a good prostitute is by far the cheapest way to sexual fulfilment, compared to marriage. Peter.

I see little difference between spending hundreds wining and dining a woman for sex, and paying a prostitute, the transaction is very clear, Anonymous.

If a man wishes to get laid he has three options – paying her, persuading her, forcing her. The last is clearly unacceptable. But which is better – persuade a woman to sleep with you, telling her whatever it takes, then send her home disillusioned – or pay her, with no deceit involved? Anonymous.

I pay for sex for the simple reason that women have rejected me all my life. Find me a woman who does not reject me and I will immediately desist from this behaviour that I do not necessarily entirely want to engage in. Anonymous.

You know I avoid papers like the Daily Mail so I don’t have to read such rubbish – how many Guardian readers support these views? Was the papers postbag bursting with letters expressing these views or has the editor published these letters to provoke a reaction? I wonder how many men hold these disgusting views – it would appear too many.