Women in the sex industry

Even in today’s world where anything seems to be acceptable to speak about, and discussions on previously hidden subjects are the norm the sex industry still is a taboo topic. It is still very much so an underground world kept very secretive by those who belong.

In this article I will scratch the surface of this world and look at some of the experiences of the girls who live this lifestyle. In a world surrounded by question and mystery for those not in the know, hopefully some of those blank spaces will begin to fill.

Many women across the world earn a living as a sex worker or in other areas of the sex industry, whether that be pornography, stripping/dancing, telephone sex or computer sex and there are a whole variety of reasons why women choose to get into this type of work. Supporting children, trying to save money for schooling, to survive economically and some just because they want too. And while yes there is a dark side to the sex industry this is not the focus of this article but instead the women who have chosen to live this lifestyle.

Sex workers sell sexual services in order to earn a livelihood, most choose sex work as it is the best option that they have as well as many perusing it to help them to explore and express their sexuality. Unfortunately for the women who choose to be in this lifestyle, in many parts of the world certain aspects of the sex industry are criminal acts. While there are many women that this protects, it also makes it very difficult for those trying to use the sex industry as a legitimate way of earning.

Each girl I have spoken to have their own reason for becoming part of this industry. Harley Bee, a young woman who describes herself as a Lap/pole dancer had this to say about why she joined the industry “I have a close friend that I was living with who done it, she used to come home after her shift with lots of money, me being jobless at the time and looking for work thought I’d give it a go and here I am 4 years later still doing it!”

Macie Waters who works for an adult television company told me “I ended up where I am today by it starting off as a quick way to make money but I started to enjoy it and I of course enjoyed the money that came with it.”

So, it seems a big draw into the industry for these young girls is the money that they are able to make, that in other lines of work they may not be able too.

Criminalisation of those in the sex industry can compromise the health and safety of the workers as it drives the operations underground. This can include anything from making the sale and purchase of sexual services a crime to prohibiting management of sex work. Making it a criminal offence can make it harder for the girls working to work together for safety reasons, it has also been known that girls even fear carrying condoms in case they are used as evidence of prostitution.

There are many reports of violence towards sex workers from clients as well as from others such as managers and even police. The Criminalisation of the sex industry makes it difficult for sex workers to report any of these incidents. Without being able to report rights violations and with a constant stigma around the work, the health and safety of sex workers is endangered.

In situations where it is controlled and there is a decriminalisation the girls are in a much safer place and there is an enabling environment for the health and safety of the sex worker. The open society foundation says that ‘Removing criminal prosecution of sex work goes hand-in-hand with recognising sex work as work and protecting the rights of sex workers through workplace health and safety standards. Decriminalising sex work means sex workers are more likely to live without stigma, social exclusion, and fear of violence.’

Thinking about this topic I asked the girls if they had ever felt unsafe or overly exposed in this line of work and I am unsure whether it was surprising that each one had at least one story to tell, but one thing was certain when they had security and protection the fear of what might happen was smaller.

“Unfortunately, there has been incidents where I’ve been harmed physically while doing my job whether it be spanked, bitten, grabbed inappropriately. Unfortunately, when face to face with people in this line of work it’s almost expected but never accepted, security can’t be their always, but they are very responsive and will remove the customer.” Harley Bee speaking about her experiences

The sex industry is changing and evolving with technology just like most of the world. With an increase in use of sites such as ‘Onlyfans’ and ‘Admireme’ girls who once may once have never considered the sex industry are dipping their toe in the waters, so to speak. While these types of sites are classed as social networking subscribers pay influencers a fee for what is usually adult content on their account.

Is this the new generation of the sex industry using a business model that is recognised across many social media platforms but gearing it in a way that applies to adult industries.

I spoke to an account holder of an admire me page and asked her to explain what she felt the pages were. “I’ve never really looked at it as working as part of the sex industry, but some people may see it that way. Admire me is a site where you can post pictures/videos in lingerie, outfits, nudes, using toys etc… for your subscribers to see. Only people who subscribe to your account can see what it is you post, and I am also able to prosecute anyone who is caught sharing the content without permission. I charge £10 a month per subscriber who can unsubscribe and resubscribe at any time.”

Sites like these are making the sex industry more accessible for workers and users alike and while the stigma around sex work is still strong, work such as posting to these sites is becoming more above board.

Daria Tyminska has accounts on both Onlyfans and Admireme, I spoke to her about her experiences with them and why she started posting and this was her response “Many of us started after seeing Chelsea Fergo (owner of Admireme) post how she bought a house and many cars with her provocative photos. Out of curiosity I did it also and it’s made me more a week than a full-time job was giving me monthly and gives me freedom. With the downside of risking my photos being leaked and potentially abolishing a future job, however I love it and wish I was aware of it sooner. I love how normalised it has become.”

Women in this line of work often face criticism and are undermined for their choice of lifestyle. Sex work is met with a lot of prejudice and often naivety from those who do not understand the reasoning behind it. Thanks to popular culture and media representations the only image people seem to have of sex workers is that of a drug-dependent female, in a mini-skirt, standing on a street in a not so nice part of town. While very sadly this may be the reality for some, this is not the reality for many but rather the way they have chosen to support themselves in a safe environment. “What really goes on is generally totally different to what they think happens, "Hollywood has totally ruined everyone’s perception of what to expect when visiting a strip club. It’s a very professional, safe and legal ran business. And for those who know how its ran and still don’t have a friendly approach towards this I personally think that they are out of touch with their own body” Harley Bee.

The representations in the media have made it difficult to begin to change perceptions and stereotyping within the sex industry, but instead created a barrier between those working within it and those on the outside. And while they receive criticism and prejudice the women working this lifestyle know their own individual reasons for choosing it and stand by it.

“To people who think what I do wrong or undermining, they don’t have an open-mind. It shouldn’t matter to do them what I do to earn money or what I do with my body. People should worry about themselves.” Maci Waters

While these women face constant judgement there is one thing that came through when speaking to them all, words such as confidence and empowered.

Harley said “Empowered yes, empowered is a very huge feeling you get from it.”

One girl with an admire me account spoke about her growth in confidence “since having Admire Me it’s definitely gave me a lot of confidence in myself that I never had before, and it’s also made me not care about other people’s opinions.”

While Macie spoke about using the industry to push herself even further “My drive to carry on is to make a name for myself and to own my business and be set up for life. I feel people need to be more open to the sex industry as people shut it down too much and it’s not fair. sex is everywhere so why can’t we earn money of it?”

If this is how working in the sex industry is making these women feel about themselves, then surely an individual choosing this lifestyle and deciding it is the best decision for them cannot be a bad thing?