5 Things to Know About Sex Work

Occupational therapy professionals will work with clients who may hire sex workers or who would benefit from working with a sex worker.   

Here are 5 things OTs need to know to be prepared to address sex work with clients and to advocate for destigmatizing sex work:

1. Sex work is work. Sex work is a consensual transaction between adults, where the act of selling or buying sexual services is not a violation of human rights. Sex work is an umbrella term that can include escort services, street-level sex workers, pornography, exotic dancing, massage, internet work, phone sex operators and third-party support (drivers, managers, bartenders etc.). Sex work is NOT sexual exploitation or trafficking. If the exchange is non consensual, it is violence, and is not considered sex work under the definitions of the World Health Organization.
   Like any career, sex work is deserving of respect, non-judgement, and professionalism. 

2. Sex workers (SWers) have autonomy and agency. SWers choose their clientele and the setting in which they work.  Because sex workers are often independent contractors, they can choose not only the clientele but also the terms of engagement and the boundaries of the exchange. If workers are not given this autonomy, it is not considered sex work and is instead considered trafficking or sexual exploitation.

3. Sex workers can be any gender, orientation, shape, size, or ability level. A helpful way OT professionals can better understand sex work is to consider their own assumptions or judgments about what they thinks SWers look like. SWers can be any gender, sexual orientation, shape, size and/or ability level. OT professionals can enter conversations with curiosity, understanding and compassion instead of judgements and assumptions.

4. SWers are beneficial to occupational therapy clients. SWers are professionals and experts in enhancing body autonomy, agency, and self confidence. They are knowledgeable about how to minimize shame their clients feel around sex and to increase curiosity and exploration. Sexual service providers can provide a safe and playful environment for those with physical disabilities or those in rehabilitation.

   • There are a few SW websites that OTs can learn from and use as a resource for clients: Adultwork , Sleepyboy, and TLC Trust.

5. Decriminalizing and destigmatizing SW will provide workers with safer and healthier work environments. As OTs, advocacy is a large part of our scope. Advocating for the decriminalization of sex work is an act of harm reduction and a way to increase a client’s quality of life. This will also reduce police violence on SWers, especially those belonging to marginalized communities.

   • Adversely, criminalizing sex work can have detrimental effects on the health and safety of the worker and absolutely has no effect on “decreasing the demand of sex work."

Stay tuned for our next article on how to support and advocate SW industry as an OT, focusing on safety, political advocacy and education.