Sex workers
Sex workers are a highly marginalised and stigmatised group at risk of poor physical and mental health. Prostitution is not all about sex. It is often about inequality, lack of opportunities, poverty, abuse of vulnerability and abuse of power.
All sex workers have the right to lead healthy and socially inclusive lives with easy and equitable access to health services, care and support. In spite of this and the high level of health needs many sex workers face, sex workers encounter significant barriers to health and care.
There is often a lack of services tailored to sex worker needs, stigma or legal implications to identifying as a sex worker, and a lack of awareness regarding available services. Street-based sex workers in particular can carry a high burden of unmet health needs and can experience extreme health and social inequalities.
Sex work is a primary source of income for some people in most countries. For many sex workers, a decision to undertake sex work is made in challenging circumstances, have difficult housing situations, be experiencing domestic abuse, and/or have drug dependency. They may have experienced coercion, violence, or trafficking, with associated levels of trauma and distrust.
Women comprise the majority of sex workers yet there is a significant minority of male and trans sex workers. Most people buying sexual services are men.
East Riding Inclusion Health findings (Nov 2024)
- In the East Riding, the physical and mental health needs of sex workers are relatively unknown due to there being very little opportunity to specifically identify people who are sex working. Stigma surrounding sex working has meant that people often withhold this identity and may not feel comfortable engaging with health services.
- Some sex work is consensual, but some is non-consensual or heavily coerced and is instead recognised as sexual exploitation, often as a form of modern slavery or trafficking. Individuals who are being sexually exploited are likely to have differing and increased health effects and are highly vulnerable.
- In October 2024, Humberside Police had identified 69 profiles listed on Adult websites for females who were sex working with an East Riding address. These have been identified with regards to modern slavery investigations, as it was deemed possible that some of these could be linked to sexual exploitation or modern slavery.
- Fewer than 10 East Riding sexual health clinic attendees in 2019 were identified as sex workers, and in 2020 this was fewer than 5. This is a potential gap in monitoring and surveillance and there could be unmet sexual health needs for people who sex work.
Support available in the East Riding
Please note - the information on this site is constantly being updated. If you're aware of any support or service that should be included here, please contact Michelle Barnes in Smile's Community Development team at mb@heysmilefoundation.org
Resources
Beyond the Streets work with women involved in the UK sex industry. The charity works to see women safe from coercion, violence and abuse.
