sex work / sex worker
Last updatedSex work is an umbrella term for any work in which goods and money are exchanged for consensual erotic performances and/or sexual services. A sex worker is a person who engages in sex work. The terms sex work and sex worker are straightforward when referring to the profession or to people who engage in sex work, respectively (instead of a term like “prostitution,” which is outdated and can be stigmatizing).
As a part of fourth-wave feminism (roughly 2008-present), sex work and the destigmatization thereof has become a national talking point. The term “sex work” itself is an attempt to change that stigma by acknowledging it as legitimate work.
While sex work is currently illegal in much of the US, activists across the country are working to decriminalize it in order to protect the health and safety of sex workers, who are disproportionately Black and trans.
Including statistics may be helpful depending on the focus of coverage. Steering clear of stigmatizing language and coded terms like “massage parlor” helps avoid reinforcing assumptions or generalizations about sex workers’ identities; all kinds of people engage in sex work. Sex work and sex trafficking are very different, as sex workers consent to sex work; people who are trafficked do not.
Additional resources
- Understanding Sex Work in an Open Society (Open Society Foundations)
- Sex workers’ fight for decriminalization, explained (Vox)
Summary
Sex work is an umbrella term for any work in which goods and money are exchanged for consensual erotic performances and/or sexual services. A sex worker is a person who engages in sex work. Steering clear of stigmatizing language and coded terms like “massage parlor” helps avoid reinforcing assumptions or generalizations about sex workers’ identities; all kinds of people engage in sex work.