Mental Health and the Sex Industry from Victoria Davis's blog

Sex workers face tremendous social stigma. They require increased legal protections, improved health care benefits and to be seen as legitimate employees - in addition to finding ways to make money and remain financially sustainable.

Legality

Decriminalization has become a cornerstone of sex workers' rights advocacy. Criminalizing selling or buying sex exposes workers to exploitation and violence; prohibiting work leaves individuals vulnerable to exploitation and violence while making it hard for them to find and keep clients, access health care, or seek justice if wronged. Furthermore, prohibition drives an uncontrolled mass incarceration system while further marginalizing some of society's most marginalized groups such as LGBTQ/GNCT communities, women, and immigrants.

Advocates have advocated for full decriminalization and an end to laws targeting sexual services industry; however, partial decriminalization models like Scandinavia's Nordic model of partial decriminalization also exist and aim at shifting legal penalties onto purchasers while classifying workers as victims to shield them from prosecution; however this strategy can backfire as it limits advertising services and customer acquisition for sexual workers.

Racial bias increases sex workers' vulnerability to exploitation by making it more difficult for them to negotiate fair treatment and condom use with clients, both essential aspects of their job. Furthermore, police and prosecutors may target them for possession of condoms which increases health risks such as HIV.

Social stigma

Sex workers experience an elevated rate of mental health problems, including depression. Furthermore, they face increased risks for violence and exploitation while being denied access to mental health services. One study reported that their sexual work had become central to their identity causing them to feel marginalized by societal perceptions with both primary and courtesy stigma being prevalent factors.

This research utilized interviews with members of seven sex worker organizations from different communities throughout Canada. Interview results demonstrated how internal dynamics within the industry created limited entitativity that hindered how effectively sex workers could organize around a shared occupational identity - creating major roadblocks to fighting for occupational legitimacy.

The authors of this study concluded that stigma was an impediment to sex workers' right to economic security and social respect. This prejudice informed national and local laws and policies, keeping sex work hidden from public view. Until it can be dispelled, sex work will remain devalued; ultimately sex workers need to be allowed to organize with peers for support so as to fight occupational legitimacy while improving precarious working conditions; to achieve this it is crucial that adequate monetary resources be directed toward organizations which offer mental health support services to members'.

Sexual exploitation

People working in the sex industry are at great risk of sexual exploitation. They may be forced to perform sexual acts for little or no pay or coerced into working long hours for little pay; or tied to their trafficker and told they have to continue until their debt is repaid; failing which they could face physical or sexual violence from traffickers and can risk physical or sexual violence themselves if they refuse. People of all ages, genders and orientation can fall prey to this form of exploitation in the industry.

Sexual assault and harassment is one of the primary forms of exploitation. People suffering sexual abuse can often feel ashamed to report their abuse due to its stigmatized reputation among sex workers; some may fear going directly to police due to potential jail time or charges against them; other may fear having their children taken from them by child protection services.

Rising sex worker organizations and activism are working hard to change this perception of sexual workers, advocating for improved laws and other forms of support while dispelling myths that perpetuate stigma - for instance the belief that all sex workers are exploited, prostitution is incompatible with feminist principles, or that sexual work does not count as real work . They are also treating sexual work/FSSW as an intricate community where various proximate, distal and structural factors influence labor exploitation levels . This step allows us to see beyond simplistic dichotomies such as "high class/low class".

Health care

Full-service sex workers (FSSW) face unique set of vulnerabilities. They are at high risk for violence, legal involvement and social stigmatization as well as mental health disorders; yet many still seek access to mental health care. While this may present its own set of difficulties, full-service sex workers do have potential benefits from engaging in mental health services but numerous individual, community and systemic barriers prevent engagement with and utilization. Destigmatization as well as providing culturally competent care may help overcome such hurdles.

Studies on the health outcomes for women engaging in sex work are limited, yet some research indicates they may be at increased risk of sexually transmitted infections, physical or sexual violence, imprisonment and reproductive coercion than the general population. Furthermore, due to performing sexual acts without using condoms they increase their chances of HIV infection further.

Sex workers face increased rates of depression and suicide than the general population due to the stress caused by their work. Furthermore, they experience greater levels of distress than other outdoor workers like farmers and construction workers due to social stigma experienced when operating at lower levels of whore hierarchy; further compounded by online prostitution which exposes women more readily to HIV infection and sexual exploitation.