4: Health and Safety Versus Force and Violence

The majority of research into prostitution and sex work is most probably related to health writ large. This does not mean that we know perfectly well how risky being a sex worker is, as scholarship is scattered. If one takes the work in sex work seriously, one should also do that with occupational well-being. From that perspective, it is probably safe to state that sex work often involves strained and risky working conditions (e.g., Adriaenssens et al., 2016; Sanders, 2004). Overall, the evidence suggests that selling sex leads to an increased risk of bodily harm, mainly through sexually transmitted infections or violent victimisation. Some of those heightened risks are built into the very fabric of the prostitution market as it functions today. At the same time, the variation between groups of sex workers is substantial. In some groups, the risks are considered moderate to low, whereas the occupation is perilous and harmful in many other groups and places.