Last week, Durham University in the United Kingdom held training sessions for students involved in the adult sex industry. A spokesperson for the university stated that the goal was not to encourage sex work, but to “provide support to … students.”
Driving this demand is a larger movement normalizing “sex work” for young people. Previous research has shown that about 7% of university students work in the sex industry. The term “sex work” can refer to a variety of acts, including prostitution, stripping, selling nude photos and videos, and sugar dating (which involves exchanging time and sex for gifts or money for tuition and rent).
Selling sex is the world’s oldest profession, and no matter the number of alternatives available or the cautionary tone of this opinion piece, there will be women (and men) who will consensually choose to pursue this line of work. I don’t believe that doing so should invite judgment or stigmatization; at the same time, it should not be seen as judgmental and stigmatizing to advocate for thinking twice before jumping in.
Because softer forms of sex work can be done online and from the comfort of one’s home, not requiring solicitation on the street or being overseen by a pimp, they are viewed as less harmful — and even innocuous.
Women should be free to make their own decisions and bear the associated responsibility. But promoting this lifestyle as more glamorous and enlightened than working in fast food, as many sex work proponents do, is foolish and irresponsible.
As a journalist and former sex researcher, I have had many discussions with individuals who have worked in the sex industry. At the start, most assume that no one will find out (especially if they are only working online), but people in their lives inevitably do. Prostitution, in particular, takes a heavy psychological toll — even after leaving the industry, many women are forever changed.
It isn’t empowering to whitewash the reality of this work or the ways in which it affects one’s friendships, relationships, and future opportunities. In addition to harm-reduction strategies, young people should be offered interventions to help them exit the sex industry while completing their degrees.
Repeating the mantra, “Sex work is work,” doesn’t make it true. As sex work continues to grow in popularity, pushed by this naive narrative, we can’t be surprised by the staggering number of those regretting their decision in a few years.
Dr. Debra Soh is a sex neuroscientist, the host of The Dr. Debra Soh Podcast, and the author of The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths About Sex and Identity in Our Society.
