Editing Sex worker (section)

== In practice ==
[[File:Prostata Prostitute.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A sex worker in [[Amsterdam]]'s [[red-light district]] talks with a potential client.]] 
Sex work can take the form of prostitution, [[Stripper|stripping]] or [[Lap dance|lap dancing]], performance in pornography, phone or internet sex, or any other exchange of sexual services for financial or material gain. Sex workers who include sexual intercourse as part of their services are considered full-service sex workers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sawicki |first1=Danielle A. |last2=Meffert |first2=Brienna N. |last3=Read |first3=Kate |last4=Heinz |first4=Adrienne J. |date=2019-07-03 |title=Culturally competent health care for sex workers: an examination of myths that stigmatize sex work and hinder access to care |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/14681994.2019.1574970 |journal=Sexual and Relationship Therapy |volume=34 |issue=3 |pages=355–371 |doi=10.1080/14681994.2019.1574970 |issn=1468-1994 |pmc=6424363 |pmid=30899197}}</ref> The variety in the tasks encompassed by sex work leads to a large range in both severity and nature of risks that sex workers face in their occupations. Sex workers can act independently as individuals, work for a company or corporation, or work as part of a brothel. All of the above can be undertaken either by free choice or by coercion, or, as some argue, along a continuum between conflict and agency.<ref name="conflict">{{Cite journal |last1=Marcus |first1=Anthony |last2=Horning |first2=Amber |last3=Curtis |first3=Ric |last4=Sanson |first4=Jo |last5=Thompson |first5=Efram |year=2014 |title=Conflict and Agency among Sex Workers and Pimps: A Closer Look at Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking |journal=The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science |volume=653 |issue=1 |pages=225–246 |doi=10.1177/0002716214521993 |s2cid=145245482}}</ref> Sex workers may also be hired to be companions on a trip or to perform sexual services within the context of a trip; either of these can be voluntary or forced labor.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ryan |first1=Chris |last2=Kinder |first2=Rachel |year=1996 |title=Sex, tourism and sex tourism: fulfilling similar needs?. |journal=Tourism Management |volume=17 |issue=7 |pages=507–518 |doi=10.1016/s0261-5177(96)00068-4}}</ref>

=== Motivations ===
Sex workers may be any gender and exchange sexual services or favors for money or other gifts.<ref name="Eichert-2022">{{Cite journal |last=Eichert |first=David |title='It Ruined My Life: FOSTA, Male Escorts, and the Construction of Sexual Victimhood in American Politics |url=http://vjspl.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/12.2-FOSTA.pdf |journal=Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law |date=12 March 2022 |volume=26 |issue=3 |pages=201–245 |access-date=27 July 2020 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727191658/http://vjspl.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/12.2-FOSTA.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The motives of sex workers vary widely and can include debt, coercion, survival, or simply as a way to earn a living.<ref name="The many faces of sex work">{{Cite journal |last1=Harcourt |first1=C |last2=B Donovan |date=2005 |title=The many faces of sex work |journal=Sexually Transmitted Infections |volume=81 |issue=3 |pages=201–206 |doi=10.1136/sti.2004.012468 |pmc=1744977 |pmid=15923285}}</ref> Sexual empowerment is another possible reason why people engage in sex work. One Canadian study found that a quarter of the sex workers interviewed started sex work because they found it "appealing".<ref name="Givetash">{{Cite news |last=Givetash |first=Linda |date=14 April 2017 |title=Some Sex Workers Choose Industry Due to Benefits of Occupation: Study |work=The Globe and Mail |publisher=Phillip Crawley |location=Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/some-sex-workers-choose-industry-due-to-benefits-of-occupation-study/article33965010/}}</ref> The flexibility to choose hours of work and the ability to select one's own client base may also contribute to the appeal of sex work when compared to other service industry jobs.<ref name="Givetash" /> Sex work may also be a way to fund addiction.<ref name="Breslin">{{Cite news |last=Breslin |first=Susannah |date=5 August 2011 |title=Why Do Women Become Sex Workers, and Why Do Men Go to Them? |work=The Guardian |location=UK |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/aug/05/payoff-sex-workers-clients-stories}}</ref> This line of work can be fueled by an individual's addiction to illegal substances before entering the industry or being introduced to these substances after entering the industry.<ref name="Breslin" />

For [[Webcam model|camming services]], motivations can vary when engaging in sex with real-life versus virtual partners. A 2023 study found that sex workers providing camming services were more likely to engage in sex with virtual partners for resources and specific types of sexual experiences (e.g., [[Kink (sexuality)|kink]]). In contrast, they engaged in sex more often with real-life partners for physical pleasure, motivated by the physical desirability of their partner, and to express love and commitment. However, for many other motivations, such as stress reduction, self-esteem boost, emotional expression, or utilitarian reasons, there were no significant differences in frequency of engagement with real-life versus virtual partners.<ref name="Kelberga">{{Cite journal |last1=Kelberga |first1=Anna |last2=Martinsone |first2=Baiba |title=Motivation of sex workers who provide camming services to engage in sex with their real-life and virtual partners |journal=Frontiers in Psychology |volume=14 |date=2023 |doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1173902 |doi-access=free |pmid=37469897 |pmc=10352917}}
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These motives also align with varying climates surrounding sex work in different communities and cultures. In some cases, sex work is linked to tourism. {{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}

=== Demographics ===
[[Transgender sex worker|Transgender people]] are more likely than the general population to do sex work, particularly [[trans women]] and trans people of color.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://1map.com/endtransdiscriminationorg|title=End Trans Discrimination: Home|website=1map.com}}</ref> In a study of female Indian sex workers, illiteracy and lower social status were more prevalent than among the general female population.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dandona |first1=Rakhi |last2=Dandona |first2=Lalit |last3=Kumar |first3=G Anil |last4=Gutierrez |first4=Juan Pablo |last5=McPherson |first5=Sam |last6=Samuels |first6=Fiona |last7=Bertozzi |first7=Stefano M. |last8=ASCI FPP Study Team |date=April 2006 |title=Demography and sex work characteristics of female sex workers in India |journal=BMC International Health and Human Rights |volume=6 |pages=5 |doi=10.1186/1472-698X-6-5 |pmc=1468426 |pmid=16615869 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

One study of sex work in Tijuana, Mexico, found that the majority of sex workers there are young, female, and heterosexual.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Katsulis |first=Yasmina |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LG0ddgALFAsC&q=sex+work+trans&pg=PA121 |title=Sex Work and the City |date=2009-09-15 |publisher=University of Texas Press |isbn=9780292779808}}</ref> Many of these studies attempt to use smaller samples of sex workers and [[pimps]] in order to extrapolate about larger populations of sex workers. One report on the underground sex trade in the United States used known data on the illegal drug and weapon trades and interviews with sex workers and pimps in order to draw conclusions about the number of sex workers in eight American cities.<ref name="Urban Institute - Underground Sex Economy">{{Cite web |last=Dank |first=Meredith |display-authors=etal |date=2016-06-28 |title=Estimating the Size and Structure of the Underground Commercial Sex Economy in Eight Major US Cities |url=http://www.urban.org/publications/413047.html |publisher=Urban Institute |access-date=2014-03-31 |archive-date=2015-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316034025/http://www.urban.org/publications/413047.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, studies like this one can come under scrutiny for a perceived emphasis on the activities and perspectives of pimps and other sex work managers rather than those of sex work providers themselves. Another criticism is that sex trafficking may not be adequately assessed in relation to sex work in these studies.<ref name="Misconceptions - UCSE report">{{Cite web |last=Dank |first=Meredith |title=Misconceptions about our report on the underground commercial sex economy |url=http://blog.metrotrends.org/2014/03/misconceptions-ucse/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140331221527/http://blog.metrotrends.org/2014/03/misconceptions-ucse/ |archive-date=31 March 2014 |access-date=31 March 2014 |publisher=Urban Institute}}</ref>

Many studies struggle to gain demographic information about the prevalence of sex work, as many countries or cities have laws prohibiting prostitution or other sex work. In addition, [[sex trafficking]], or forced sex work, is also difficult to quantify due to its underground and covert nature. In addition, finding a representative sample of sex workers in a given city can be nearly impossible because the size of the population itself is unknown. Maintaining privacy and confidentiality in research is also difficult because many sex workers may face prosecution and other consequences if their identities are revealed.<ref name="Shaver - Sex Work Research">{{Cite journal |last=Shaver |first=Frances M. |date=March 2005 |title=Sex work research: methodological and ethical challenges |journal=Journal of Interpersonal Violence |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=296–319 |doi=10.1177/0886260504274340 |pmid=15684139 |s2cid=23470722}}</ref>