The whole scenario is unrealistic. Firstly - you're on the run trying to avoid an "invading army" and you stop to hang around a trading post and pimp the women? Keep moving and offer to help the traders move their stuff for considerations before the invaders get there and loot them. Second - have you given any thought to the idea that the trader may not be interested. Shoot, he might be up to his eyeballs in T&A already. Or his tastes might be a little more...er...uh...exotic. So then who puts out?
IMO, cut a deal if possible without going to that extreme and keep moving. If she did do something like that to provide for her family. It would bring nothing but trouble into the group as a whole.
I have problems with the many gray areas in this thread.
If there is a shortage of food there would likely be no condoms available. If you had an untreated STD that you died from because there was no doctor or way to pay a doctor that might want food too you could end up depriving the children of a mother. Not good.
If you are drawing lines and saying that risking your health and life by selling sex is ok and stealing is not ok you are creating a gray area not eliminating one. Morally how is lust and fornication and whoring not immoral and stealing is?
If a man has food and won't share it with starving women and children he isn't much of a man even if he isn't in your group. If a man gave you food for your children and you gave him sex from gratitude it isn't much different than selling sex.
Yes, I know that women trade sex for security every day at all levels of society.
Why would stealing from a horny man that would allow starving children to starve be wrong?
First, yes, I have children and I have grandchildren, so don't get too pissed off here.
But....why are children given so much importance in these survival scenarios?
Yes, my kids and my grandkids are important to ME.
And I will do everything that I can to make sure that MY kids survive.
But...the hard cold reality is that YOUR kids or SOMEONE else' kids are not MY problem or concern when it comes to ultimate survival.
I know, I know.
Children are the future.
Children are the ultimate statement of survival and biological success.
But when it comes to the nut cutting...
MY survival is more important to ME than SOMEONE ELSE or their children.
have all of the females of acceptable age trade sex for food, gold, silver, ammo, supplies, then no conflict in the group about trading sex for what you need....
The only problem will be the two or three that get more supplies for their services which could cause more dissension with the females that did not receive as much in trade....