Risky business

The organization studied 21 compensated dating girls since 2006. They found the girls did not necessarily come from poor families, but some have problems with their parents.

The girls usually earn HK$500 to HK$3,000 per client depending on the service. A casual dinner without physical contact may cost HK$500. On some occasions, the girls are willing to negotiate with the clients on whether or not they use a condom.

"Even though they do not consider themselves as prostitutes, selling their bodies twists their values about love, responsibility and commitment," Tse said.

Despite moral values, being a compensated dating girl is risky. Tse said 70 percent of the girls that turned to them for help were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease.

"In an extreme case, a girl who quit compensated dating six months ago found out she had four different types of sexual diseases at the same time," he said. "Some are curable, but some might cause long-term trouble."

Tabo also shared some concerns.

"I am scared all the time. What if he is someone that I know? What if he is a cop? A pervert? What if they take naked pictures? And what if they don't pay afterward?" she wrote.

Compensated dating is not clearly defined in the law. The city's crime ordinance states that any person who solicits for any immoral purpose or loiters for the purpose of soliciting for any immoral purpose is committing an offense.