We are NOT prostitutes!' Femail goes inside the 'sugar daddy' dating world with the women who make over $60k a year from their 'relationships' with rich older men

Sugar daddy dating sites - where young, attractive women can find themselves rich, older men who will pay for their companionship - have soared in popularity over the years.

SugarDaddyForMe, the largest network in the world, boasts 45 million users, and, according to Femail's interviews with more than 20 of its female users, enables women to earn more than $60,000 a year, as well as endless perks – and a handful of surprisingly substantial relationships with their sugar daddies.

Many of the women who use the website have a great deal in common. They were almost all 'skeptical' of the concept at first, and, while their biggest fear is still being judged by society for what they do, every single one of them insisted that there is a very clear distinction between prostitution and being paid to date a man – even when they have sex with them.

Perks: Denise, a 30-year-old patient care manager from San Rafael, California, describes sugar daddy dating 'more as going out to dinner and spending time together than just having a sexual relationship'

Karlie is a 21-year-old stay-at-home mom from Pensacola, Florida, who traded jobs in dog grooming and selling cupcakes for sugar daddy dating, which helps her to support her kids.

If a wife is not working, is being paid and supported by her husband, and they have sex, does that make her a prostitute?

'You don't have to have sex,' insists Karlie, who bears chest tattoos which read 'loyalty' and trust'.

'Sure, they want it eventually, but only after you build a relationship and get to know them. I don't see it as being much different than being in a normal relationship with a man of more wealth than you, except you can date more than one at a time!'

Denise, a 30-year-old patient care manager from San Rafael, California, has dated four sugar daddies in the last four years.

Many women including me do not want to start a family,' she says. 'I’d like to keep working for as long as I can and make my money while I’m still young and beautiful.'

The slim blonde describes sugar daddy dating 'more as going out to dinner and spending time together than just having a sexual relationship'. Indeed, she once dated a client for less than a month, never slept with him, and yet still managed to score two new pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes worth $2,500.

Career change: Karlie is a 21-year-old stay-at-home mom from Pensacola, Florida, who traded jobs in dog grooming and selling cupcakes for sugar daddy dating, which helps support her kids

Emma, a 24-year-old nanny from Montgomery, Alabama, earns about $1,000 a month, 'with gifts on the side', from her current sugar daddy (she's dated five overall).

'Sugar daddies don't want prostitutes,' she says. 'They really do want to get to know a woman and not just have a one night stand with just any random girl. You end up having mutual respect for one another.'

Alison, a 22-year-old cell phone rep from the Carolinas who makes 'at least $2,000 a month', says she finds it 'rather insulting' when people confuse sugar babies with prostitutes.

Karma, a 29-year-old paralegal from, Houston, Texas, agrees.

'A prostitute is about her money and time,' she says. 'She doesn't need to know your name and she sure as hell doesn't care about your day.'