Massage parlor

A massage parlor (American English), or massage parlour (British English), is a place where massage services are provided. Some massage parlors are fronts for prostitution and the term "massage parlor" has also become a euphemism for a brothel, to the annoyance of professional masseurs.

Background

The term "massage parlour" (British English) or "massage parlor" (American English) refers to a front for prostitution, and was popularized in what is known as "the Massage Scandals of 1894". In 1894 the British Medical Association (BMA) inquired into the education and practice of massage practitioners in London, and found that prostitution was commonly associated with unskilled workers and debt, often working with forged qualifications. In response, legitimate massage workers formed the Society of Trained Masseuses (now known as the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy), with an emphasis on high academic standards and a medical model for massage training.

Particularly where prostitution is illegal, massage parlors (as well as saunas, spas or similar establishments) may be fronts for places of prostitution. Illegal brothels disguised as massage parlors are common in the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, the UAE and many other countries.