Yes, sex work is real work. Professionals in this industry deserve the respect and protection that any other worker does. 

Sex work has existed for centuries — from legal brothels in the Roman Empire to the yūjo of Japan in the 16th Century. Sex workers have been instrumental in many liberatory protest movements from Second Wave Feminism to worker’s rights. 

However, there is a long history of sex workers not being given the respect they deserve and therefore being placed in unsafe and precarious positions. This stigma comes from damaging patriarchal beliefs that believe sex workers (and women) are passive victims of circumstance. Moreover, patriarchal structures stigmatise sex workers for challenging normative ideas around sex.

What is sex work? 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines sex work as the provision of sexual services for money or goods. It is a diverse line of work that sits on a spectrum with erotic dancing, adult film actors, and BDSM workers all falling under the umbrella of sex work. 

Sex work is not to be confused with the following: 

• Sexual exploitation: the actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, power, or trust, for sexual purposes. 
• Trafficking: the recruitment, transportation, transfer, or harbouring of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, or deception. 

Sexual exploitation and trafficking are unlawful and should be stopped. They do not fall under the definition of sex work. 

Busting the myths around sex work

Myth 1: Sex work is an act of gender-based violence, specifically by men against women

This myth perpetuates the harmful stereotype that assumes sex workers are passive victims without the agency to make their own choices. In reality, there are sex workers and clients of all genders and sexualities, and placing it within a binary is harmful. 

Any non-consensual sexual encounter is not sex work, it is violence. Sexual violence happens across all levels of society and can happen in any workplace. 

Myth 2: Sex work is when you “buy” a sex worker 

This misrepresents what sex work actually is. Sex work is when you pay for a service offered by a worker. You cannot “buy” a person, that would be slavery. 

Sex workers use their bodies to fulfil the requirements of their job. This is much like other jobs such as modelling or acting. No one would say that fashion brands buy the models that work for them even though they are using their bodies for their job! 

Myth 3: Sex workers give people permission to treat them badly

This myth dehumanises and targets sex workers, painting them as passive. Sex work exists within a patriarchal structure that devalues sex work, this is not the fault of the sex worker. For many, sex work is about reclaiming their political power and agency. 

Myth 4: If we criminalise sex work it will decrease its demand and result in lower rates of exploitation or abuse

This is false, as shown above, sex work has always and will always exist. Criminalising it will not reduce demand. What it will reduce is sex workers’ access to support and drive the industry underground. This will force them into precarious conditions and unsafe situations. This means that if sex workers are exploited or abused on the job they will have even less access to essential services, and pathways to prosecute perpetrators.

Myth 5: Sex work is useless work 

Sex workers play a valuable role in our society, as intimacy, exploration, joy, and fulfilment are important forms of human expression. For many, who cannot or do not want to find sexual partners outside of paid workers, such as people with disabilities or those exploring their sexuality, sex work provides an important avenue to accessing intimacy. 

Further information about myth-busting sex work can be found at the Equality Institute. 

What is being done to ensure the safety of sex workers? 

Many organisations and broader social movements are attempting to provide resources for sex workers and education for the wider public to ensure the safety and acceptance of these professionals. 

The Scarlet Alliance is the Australian sex worker’s association. They work to advance sex worker’s rights in political, economic, legal, health, and social areas. All their members and committee are former or current sex workers, so they use their lived experience to support and advocate for the community. 

There is work being done on the legitimisation, protection, and decriminalisation of sex work across Australia as many states differ in the laws surrounding sex work. The decriminalisation of sex work involves the removal of sex industry-specific laws, offences, and penalties. 

Sex work reform aims to reduce the stigma around sex work, create safer working environments, and increase access to support services for sex workers. It is to reduce surveillance and rates of incarceration for sex workers and to increase their capacity to seek justice. 

There are many different experiences within the industry and reasons why sex workers choose this line of work. Sex work is not inherently disempowering or empowering, it is just a form of work. The first step in changing the system is changing our mindset when we think about sex work and sex workers.