Trinidad and Tobago has an obsession with sex.
When you look at Google searches around the world for the phrase “porn” from 2004 to present, T&T comes first.
T&T also came in that position over the 15-year-period around the world for the searches “free porn” and “porn hub”, according to the data from Google Trends.
But T&T’s curiosity on these issues is not only limited to searches on computer screens.
“Adult parties are nothing new for Trinidad and Tobago, they have been going on for years, decades upon decades,” sex therapist Giriraj “Dr Raj” Ramnanan has said.
Ramnanan said since the 1950s there have been adult parties taking place in T&T.
“So it is nothing new, it is just the way that it is being disseminated, and advertised and handled now is different,” he said.
“So when I came on the scene in the 90s there were a lot of adult parties. We used to host pool parties, parties at home but it was always a private affair for those who were in the know. It was not advertised for the public,” Ramnanan said.
Ramnanan said with the mass migration of Venezuelan women “a lot of people are now piggybacking or just jumping on the bandwagon to host these kind of parties and they call it sex parties but it is nothing new”.
Some weeks ago a “Secret Sunday” pool party at a house along Lady Chancellor Heights was busted by officers of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT).
All 22 females and 18 men who were found at the party were released without charges except a father and son.
“There has been an increase in sex parties because every man-jack now could host a party because of the amount of young women looking for a job,” Ramnanan said.
“As a matter of fact all these car wash events they are having are a kind of sex party because it becomes a prelude to a sex party inside the bar,” he said.
“So that is what is happening now so it has been watered down and it not exclusive anymore, it is for Tom, Dick, and Harrylal and there is no control over what happens now,” Ramnanan said.
Ramnanan said the industry needs to be regulated.
“My advice is there is always adult entertainment in any country even controlled countries there must be places that are allowed to have these things and it must not have the capacity for money laundering it must not be a drug den, it must not be a casino trying to launder their money it must be somebody who is legitimate in these kind of things,” he said.
Ramnanan said this could benefit the T&T economy and called for outlets to be vetted by the police.
“You have to look at your country and what can be done to better the country. It could be something to develop the economy,” he said.
Ramnanan said the industry is not as lucrative as people thought.
“It is not as lucrative as other businesses, it’s thousands of dollars as opposed the millions that some people would think,” he said.
Ramnanan said in sex parties promoters could legitimately make around $10,000 profit.
He said the money made illegitimately sometimes doubles that amount.
Ramnanan said the adult parties in T&T have become “watered down” as they are held in bars and other establishments and are now less exclusive.
“Now you don’t need to go a sex show to get that you can get any bar or any restaurant,” he said.
“It is totally watered down that is why I am not involved in it anymore I would not put my name to that, it has become sleazy,” Ramnanan said.
“I don’t take part in those things now because it has become sleazy and I don’t want my name attached to that before when it was a controlled kind of environment where you know your clientèle and you know the level of entertainment we used to use a lot of local entertainers,” he said.
Ramnanan said the industry created many jobs.
“I like to think about Trinidad and Tobago first anything else after. I like a free economy but you have to be careful about your sexual health,” he said.
One of the most popular when it comes to parties is Number 5 Lifestyle Club.
Number 5 boasts more than 3000 active members.
Daily the club advertises risqué events and these are regularly attended by members.
The events cost women $350, men $500 and couples $750.
“From inception, our establishment has taken great care to operate at the highest possible standards legally while upholding a strict policy privacy, security, and discreteness at each of our three locations. The comfort, safety, and enjoyment of our members are paramount,” a release from Number 5 stated.
‘We operate our clubs from privately owned, discrete and fully secured locations which are accessible by members only,” it stated.
Number 5 said it was not engaged in human trafficking or prostitution.
“We do not offer nor do we allow the solicitation of prostitution at any of our clubs; that means no paying or bartering for sex of any kind, whatsoever,” it stated.
“We are not engaged or involved in human trafficking,” Number 5 stated.
Number 5 stated no illicit drugs were allowed on their compounds.
“Recently, certain ill-advised or ill-meaning elements seeking to spread unsubstantiated claims have sought to malign our establishments but rest assured Number 5 stands above the rest and differentiated itself as the premium lifestyle club for adults in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider region with good reason,” it stated.