Sex work is the exchange of sexual services for money, goods, or other value. It covers multiple sectors: escorting, full-service sex work, camming, content creation (e.g., OnlyFans), stripping, adult massage, and other consensual adult services. The key word is consensual—sex work is distinct from trafficking, exploitation, or coercion.
Core points:
Legal status
It varies wildly by country:
- Some regulate it (e.g., licensing, zoning).
- Some criminalize the worker, the buyer, or both.
- Some criminalize surrounding activities like brothels, ads, or third-party facilitation.This patchwork directly affects safety, visibility, and business operations.
Safety and rights
Where sex work is criminalized, workers usually face:
- Higher risk of violence
- Barriers to reporting crimes
- Poor access to screening, secure workspaces, and financial services
Decriminalization tends to correlate with better health, safety, and economic outcomes.
Stigma and platforms
Even in places where it’s legal, stigma pushes the industry into grey zones:
- Payment processors restrict it
- Ad networks refuse keywords
- App stores ban adult services
- Social platforms shadowban related termsHence the heavy use of euphemisms and alternative branding.