Sex workers are individuals who offer sexual services in exchange for compensation i. Within the United States the full-service sex work FSSW industry generates 14 billion dollars annually there are estimated to be million FSSWers, though experts believe this number to be an underestimate. Many FSSWers face the possibility of violence, legal involvement, and social stigmatization. As a result, this population experiences increased risk for mental health disorders. Given these risks and vulnerabilities, FSSWers stand to benefit from receiving mental health care however a constellation of individual, organizational, and systemic barriers limit care utilization.
Destigmatization of FSSW and offering of culturally competent mental health care can help empower this traditionally marginalized population.
The objective of the current review is to 1 educate clinicians on sex work and describe the unique struggles faced by FSSW and vulnerability factors clinicians must consider, 2 address 5 common myths about FSSW that perpetuate stigma, and 3 advance a research and culturally competent clinical training agenda that can optimize mental health care engagement and utilization within the sex work community.
The sex industry, in varying forms and degrees, has been in existence for centuries. Attitudes about sex work have evolved based on political and economic climates, predominant religious beliefs, and law enforcement efforts. Sex work refers to prostitutes, escorts, strippers, porn actors, sex phone operators, or dominatrixes. It should be noted that not all people who participate in these acts identify as sex workers.
It is important to distinguish between sex workers who do and do not have in-person contact with clients, as individuals who meet with clients in-person face more legal and safety risks. For this article, the term full-service sex worker FSSW , refers specifically to individuals who provide in-person sex services.
