Research & Sources


  1. Vanwesenbeeck, I., van Zessen, G., de Graaf, R., & Straver, C. J. (1994). Contextual and interactional factors influencing condom use in heterosexual prostitution contacts. In Patient Education and Counseling (Vol. 24, Issue 3, pp. 307–322). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/0738-3991(94)90074-4 


This study positively correlates risk-taking with condom use in sex work and financial need. Sex workers with unfavorable working conditions, high financial need, and low levels of well-being. This can likely be extended to other risks–such as seeking out potentially harmful clientele, undertaking more dangerous tasks, and exposure to violent situations. Various protection styles are explored through different interactions. 


  1. Wolffers, I., Verghis, S., & Marin, M. (2003). Migration, human rights, and health. In The Lancet (Vol. 362, Issue 9400, pp. 2019–2020). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(03)15026-x 


This article reviews the WHO report (Dec. 17, 2003) on the health of migrants and human rights through a human rights framework, using Asian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as a lens. It stresses the need to address the humanitarian crisis spurred on by mass migration. Distinctions are made between different migrant groups. For our purposes, this article highlights the outcomes of both forced and voluntary migration and the interest this attracts from wealthier countries, which use migrant workers as a cheap and short-term labor source. These jobs are often dangerous, predatory, and exploitative. The amount of trafficked people is challenging to count, but the estimate is from 700,000 to 4 million yearly. Migrants are often forced into debt bondage, with lower wages than needed or expected, and returning home is impossible. They lose their support mechanism, are seen as hostile by the state, and are left unsupported by their new host country. Migrant workers face discrimination, stigmatization, poverty, and legislative inaction. Migrant sex workers face these problems in addition to their own. 


  1. Wallman, S. (2001). Global threats, local options, personal risk: Dimensions of migrant sex work in Europe. In Health, Risk & Society (Vol. 3, Issue 1, pp. 75–87). Informa UK Limited. https://doi.org/10.1080/713670170


This article deals with harm reduction and risk management as the “middle ground” for sex work in Europe. The broader level is legislation, policy, and social attitudes toward sex work, and the smaller, finer level is sex work within the context of interpersonal relationships. There is a focus on risk-taking behavior, its consequences, and the necessity for a community-focused threat reduction organization. For our purposes, this may hint towards a specific goal. How will this organization benefit sex workers? What do you want it to become?


  1. ARAL, S. O., ST. LAWRENCE, J. S., TIKHONOVA, L., SAFAROVA, E., PARKER, K. A., SHAKARISHVILI, A., & RYAN, C. A. (2003). The Social Organization of Commercial Sex Work in Moscow, Russia. In Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Vol. 30, Issue 1, pp. 39–45). Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). https://doi.org/10.1097/00007435-200301000-00009 


This article is focused on the outcomes of the Soviet Union's collapse and its implications for sex work and STI transmission in Moscow. Still, its non-qualitative findings can be extended for our purposes. Poverty, unemployment, and forced/voluntary migration lead to an increase and change in the sex work market. Those most vulnerable to STIs are intermittent, truck stops, and railway station sex workers. The organizational structure this article looked at was most focused on identifiable markers, such as “female pimps, guards, drivers, “indicators,” the sex workers themselves, and recruitment pluckers.” As a result of economic depression and deprivation, illegal markets exploded, greatly deteriorating economic and domestic contexts for women and increasing trafficking and the sex trade. Sex work has become less covert, and social attitudes toward sex have shifted. The article concluded that the current Moscow sex work market was an “adjustive response” to socioeconomic pressures. 


  1. Rekart, M. L. (2005). Sex-work harm reduction. In The Lancet (Vol. 366, Issue 9503, pp. 2123–2134). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(05)67732-x 


An article focused on applying harm reduction principles for drug use to sex work. Harm reduction has been demonstrated to reduce the spread of HIV and the death toll of injection drug use. Harm reduction includes condom promotion and safe-sex campaigns. Drug use harm reduction overlaps with sex work harm reduction. Injection drug use is common among sex workers in many locations and may incentivize riskier behavior and lead to debt bondage. Injection drug use leads to issues outside of STIs, such as skin infections, thrombosis, sepsis, endocarditis, and overdoses. Non-injection drugs also host their problems, mainly in the risk management department, leading to unsafe sex, immune suppression, cardiovascular and neurological disease, overdose, and addiction. This article discusses international trends to track disease, violence, discrimination, debt, exploitation, and criminalization. 


  1. Decker, M. R., Miller, E., McCauley, H. L., Tancredi, D. J., Levenson, R. R., Waldman, J., Schoenwald, P., & Silverman, J. G. (2012). Sex trade among young women attending family-planning clinics in Northern California. In International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics (Vol. 117, Issue 2, pp. 173–177). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2011.12.019 


A practical cross-sectional study of sex workers compared with the general population and related health outcomes. It uses a unique mechanism by surveying family-planning clinics. In conclusion, the sex trade in its current state is associated with negative health outcomes. Harm reduction is only a stopgap measure, but it may be necessary.


  1. Cohan, D. (2006). Sex worker health: San Francisco style. In Sexually Transmitted Infections (Vol. 82, Issue 5, pp. 418–422). BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/sti.2006.020628 


A study of 783 sex workers self-identifying as female (53.6%), male (23.9%), male to female transgender (16.1%), and other (6.5%). The study surveyed tobacco as the most common substance, with many reporting illicit drug use, exploitation, domestic violence, and sex work-related violence. Sex workers rarely discuss their work with their medical providers.


  1. Deering, K. N., Amin, A., Shoveller, J., Nesbitt, A., Garcia-Moreno, C., Duff, P., Argento, E., & Shannon, K. (2014). A Systematic Review of the Correlates of Violence Against Sex Workers. In American Journal of Public Health (Vol. 104, Issue 5, pp. e42–e54). American Public Health Association. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2014.301909 


This is a systemic review examining the factors shaping physical and sexual violence against sex workers globally. It reviews 28 studies, with 14 additional estimates of violence prevalence. Violence is most dependent on contextual factors with known interpersonal and individual risks. Sex workers face a high burden of violence. Still, sex work is overlooked in international agendas to prevent violence.


  1. Srsic, A., Dubas-Jakóbczyk, K., & Kocot, E. (2021). The Economic Consequences of Decriminalizing Sex Work in Washington, DC—A Conceptual Model. In Societies (Vol. 11, Issue 3, p. 112). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc11030112 


This paper is in favor of decriminalizing sex work but not passing legislation on it in an effort for drastic harm reduction. The authors make a compelling case.


  1. Platt, L., Grenfell, P., Meiksin, R., Elmes, J., Sherman, S. G., Sanders, T., Mwangi, P., & Crago, A.-L. (2018). Associations between sex work laws and sex workers’ health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative and qualitative studies. In A. C. Tsai (Ed.), PLOS Medicine (Vol. 15, Issue 12, p. e1002680). Public Library of Science (PLoS). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002680 


This paper is a meta-analysis of policy, research, and the impact of legislation. It is probably the most comprehensive study connecting policy to health outcomes so far.


  1. Raphael, J. (2018). Decriminalization of Prostitution: The Soros Effect. In Dignity: A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence (Vol. 3, Issue 1). University of Rhode Island. https://doi.org/10.23860/dignity.2018.03.01.01 


This article explicitly discusses George Soros’s bad-faith philanthropy.


  1. Boesch, D., & Gaines, A. C. (2021, December 3). The basic facts about women in poverty. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/basic-facts-women-poverty/ 


This is an overview of women’s poverty statistics as of 2021. More updated (but also statistically misleading) information is found in the census. Census data is difficult to pick apart.

  1. Brooks, S.K., Patel, S.S. & Greenberg, N. Struggling, Forgotten, and Under Pressure: A Scoping Review of Experiences of Sex Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Arch Sex Behav 52, 1969–2010 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02633-3 


A meta-review of sex workers experiences during the pandemic. It describes the increase of violence and discrimination, both systemic and interpersonal, for sex workers. 


  1. Sinha, S. (2016). Ethical and Safety Issues in Doing Sex Work Research: Reflections From a Field-Based Ethnographic Study in Kolkata, India. In Qualitative Health Research (Vol. 27, Issue 6, pp. 893–908). SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732316669338 


A first-hand account of ethical and safety problems, with a focus on improving research methodology surrounding sex work. There are many impactful quotes.