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Evanston, IL – The American Massage Therapy Association®
(AMTA®) views the decision by Craigslist to
remove its ‘erotic services’ section as an opportunity
to clarify for the public that prostitutes who claim to
provide massage are not massage therapists. “The public
and massage therapists have a right to know that
advertising for massage should only be the right of
massage therapists,” says Judy Stahl, AMTA President.
“We hope this decision will ensure that massage is only
advertised on Craigslist through its ‘therapeutic’
section and that any new ‘adult’ section will not allow
posters to use terms related to massage therapy.” Most
states regulate the massage therapy profession and
restrict use of the term ‘massage’ in business and
advertising to legally practicing massage therapists.
The
recent publicity surrounding the murder of a call girl
who called herself a masseuse on Craigslist has confused
many people. Massage therapists have had clients and
patients question their professionalism and raise
concerns about them advertising their massage practices
through Craigslist.
Unfortunately, prostitutes frequently claim to offer
massage and use the term ‘masseuse’ to appear as
legitimate therapists. While most massage practitioners
prefer the term massage therapist, some still use the
older term, rooted in European health traditions, of
‘masseuse’.
AMTA
believes these terms related to massage should only be
used by those with a legal and professional right to do
so. The non-profit professional association wants the
public to feel confident that anyone who claims to
provide massage is a trained professional who practices
legally. “We call on Craigslist, the media and other
online services to respect massage therapists and to
protect the public from misrepresentations of massage.
And, we continue our support for the efforts of the
state attorneys general to protect the public from
inappropriate advertising,” says Stahl.
The American Massage Therapy Association is a nonprofit
professional association of more than 58,000 members
founded in 1943. AMTA professional members have
demonstrated a level of skill and knowledge through
education and/or testing and must meet continuing
education requirements to retain membership. AMTA
provides information about massage therapy to the public
and works to improve the professional climate for
massage therapists. It advocates fair and consistent
licensing of massage therapists in all states.
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American Massage Therapy Association®
