Next, we learn that VS Naipaul, a misanthropic, and arrogant bully, and also the greatest living novelist in the English language, was doing something similar throughout much of his first marriage.

Meanwhile, the head of Teheran police is found in his office with not one, but six, naked prostitutes. It would be nice to hear that Hillary Clinton, as First Lady, had been hiring some handsome young man to attend to her sexual needs — a half-Kenyan would be fun — but that seems unlikely, not least because we men apparently do not have such strong stomachs and heroic parts as many of you girls clearly do.

What is it about us chaps? In all societies everywhere, there are large numbers of men who are prepared to pay women for sex.

Now this seems to be an utterly mysterious appetite, but it exists, nonetheless. Indeed, the desire to have paid sex with a strange woman is so prevalent amongst men that it can be said to be a distinct orientation, like homosexuality, or lesbianism.

Meanwhile, there are large numbers of women who wish (for whatever reason of their own) to provide these sexual services. Yet across the world, the state decides to outlaw, marginalise, ostracise and humiliate the entire transaction. One exception seems to be Australia, from where the splendidly named Beverley Hadgraft — of Manly, of course: where else? — wrote to the Sunday Times last weekend describing how the sex industry is run there.

"I, too, have interviewed many prostitutes, from backpackers subsidising their travels to terrified Thai sex slaves and others working to fund drug habits, university studies, business set-ups and healthcare for a parent in the final stages of cancer.

We have a well-regulated sex industry here. In most brothels, if one prostitute has sex without a condom, the others will walk out in protest.

"There are regular sex health checks, good security ... some prostitutes love their work, others are disturbed. Sex is never black or white, right or wrong. Neither is prostitution."

As a rough rule of thumb, these are sound enough sentiments: so why are they so difficult for our political classes to accept, and to establish within our legal code?

Instead of having a regulated sex industry, in which the girls are protected, in every sense — in terms of health, income, and physical safety — we have created a legal prohibition, which we know cannot work. This leads the police to embark regularly upon fatuous campaigns with exotic if ill-chosen names like 'Gladiator' (which actually rather sounds like post-facto approval of sex) against brothels.

These of course will be greeted with the usual cretinous shrieks of approval from the tabloid Press, with headlines hailing the latest 'crackdown on the sordid sex trade'.

This idiocy is reinforced by the likes of Amnesty International, whose Patricia Campbell, of its Belfast branch, replied recently to the claim by Anna Lo MLA that there were 70 brothels in Northern Ireland.

"These are shocking figures, and we must ensure that all measures are taken to combat this heinous industry," said our Patricia. "As well as catching the perpetrators, the Government needs to protect these women and children."

And that's brothels for you: they invariably get people talking out of their bottoms. Mention 'bought sex', and suddenly the Greens start proposing open-stack, tar-burning power stations for the Burren, and Joe Higgins defends the integrity of hedge-fund managers.

But it is simply because the sex industry has been driven underground that it is able to traffic women and children, in violation of the criminal law and numerous human rights conventions.

So what does Amnesty International want?

For free people to have the liberty of conscience to become free prostitutes, or to visit them, as free clients (albeit ones who pay)?

No. It wants more police, more law, more state intervention, and presumably, more people in prison, and overall, less freedom. So much for Amnesty International.

Now, if there are 70 brothels in Northern Ireland, maybe there's a market for their services. Or you could ignore that unpleasant possibility, and instead indulge your own visceral dislike of purchased sex by trying to prohibit it. This will of course be very emotionally satisfying for the lawmakers (which is a primary reason for much law): however, the certain outcome, as always, will be secret networks ferrying sex slaves — both women and children — from poor countries into richer ones.

As Beverly Hadgraft said, women become prostitutes for different reasons. Some are alcoholics, some junkies, some are victims of child abuse, some are schizophrenic, some are slaves, and some are free women who choose to make money out of what they also do for pleasure.

And look at their customers: Jeffrey Archer, VS Naipaul, Anthony Burgess, and yes, the head of the Teheran police.

So even Iran, where they stone 'whores' to death, cannot abolish the sex industry. But still, maybe this time with the advice of Amnesty International, Belfast, they'll give it another go.