Our values are being watered down, says clinical psychologist Dr Carol Balhetchet.

Looking at the ads popping up in online classifieds Craigslist, she may have a point.

A check by The New Paper under the "Personals" section showed that there were multiple offers of sex for money by both women and men.

Most claimed to be young but above 18.

One girl said she would "laugh at your jokes and spread my legs for cash".

Others said outright that they would give oral sex for cash.

They asked interested sugar daddies to contact them via e-mail. The bold ones left their mobile number and the more brazen ones claimed that the barely-dressed girls in the provided pictures were themselves.

To one young woman, getting the money for luxury goods seemed to be the No. 1 priority.

After this reporter responded to her post, where she said she was looking for a sugar daddy who can give her a monthly allowance, she was quick to ask for a figure.

An allowance of $3,000 a month was too little, she said, and asked for $4,500. Other conditions included meeting only on weekdays.

Cash payment

She wanted to be paid in cash.

The woman, who said she is a 22-year-old studying for a business degree, quickly brought up the topic of sex.

She said that she had a health certificate to prove that she was not carrying any sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and added that using a condom was compulsory.

But she was quick to agree to skip the rubber, provided a medical checkup was done.

When asked if she wanted to meet up, she promptly agreed.

She also said that if there was to be any sexual acts on the first meeting, payment had to be first made in full and in cash.

She had no qualms with agreeing to travel overseas, or appearing at social events, provided that expenses were taken care of.

When asked why she was doing this, she said she needed the money for school. Then, she changed her tune and said she used the money to pay for her grandmother's medical bills.

But she later admitted that she wanted the money to indulge in luxury goods.

She said: "My parents don't know I'm doing this. It's a lifestyle I am used to."

She revealed that she has been hooking up with sugar daddies since she was 16 and has had two since. She also said she had two boyfriends.

Turning to prostitution for fast cash is not a new phenomenon, but it is becoming noticeably more common, said clinical psychologist Dr Carol Balhetchet.

She attributed it to a "watering down of social values", where being knowledgeable about sex and sexual promiscuity is cool and socially accepted.

Said Dr Balhetchet: "This has been happening since some time last year. Young girls do one-off sex partners, some do sugar daddies.

"If they cannot commit to the guy, some pass it to their friends. It's sort of a 'network'. "I don't know if it is syndicates, or friends, but it is alarming that they are becoming so cash-desperate.

"The social environment now is such that one wants to be seen with the best phone, the best material goods. That is when sex is commercialised in exchange for hard cash."

Traditional values where keeping one's virginity until marriage also seems to have taken a backseat, noted Dr Balhetchet.

"Such values are there, just not as important as meeting social expectations of looking good." Dr Balhetchet also raised the issue of STIs among youths: "STIs are becoming too common among the younger people because they don't think that sex is a big deal."

According to the Ministry of Health, there were 441 newly reported cases of Singapore residents infected with HIV in 2010.

It was also noted that "sexual transmission remains the main mode of HIV transmission among Singaporeans."

Last year, it was reported that the number of young people with STIs shot up from 238 in 2002 to 787 in 2008.

Education

Mr Zaqy Mohamad, MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC and chairman of Chua Chu Kang Town Council, highlighted the need to educate and guide young people better.

He said: "This is not something you should condone. On the Internet, young people can learn and replicate what they see.

"It is also easy for them to fall prey to undesirable characters. There's no guarantee that the person in the photo is who they are."

Ms Denise Phua, MP for Moulmein-Kallang GRC and a mother of a teenage daughter, pointed out that adults also play a part in the growing lack of respect for sex among young people.

She said: "It is a big concern to me. It reflects disrespect for oneself and it will have a long term impact on one's character.

"We, the adults, whether as parents or significant others, should take ownership to ensure that we inculcate good values. We are the ones who raise this next generation. We are all part of society."

This article was first published in The New Paper.

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