‘It was the only way to pay debts’
Jessie Hyer Griffin, 26
(left), lives in Manchester with her husband Marcus, 27. She’s the CEO and Support Lead at Support For Student Sex Workers and a student sex work researcher at The University of Leicester. She says, “I grew up on the 12th most deprived estate in the UK and when I went to university to study English and Drama in 2014, having become estranged from my family, I had nothing. I have bipolar disorder, which meant I found it difficult to hold down a ‘regular’ job.
“I’ve always been quite sexually liberated – I’ve slept with a lot of people and, growing up, I was fascinated by Hugh Hefner and his girlfriends – I wanted to be one of them. I knew I could earn more from sugar daddying for a few hours than working a 12-hour shift as a waitress, so I made the choice to do sex work. I saw an advert that asked for escorts to go on non-sexual dates with men. Then I started doing cam work, and soon progressed to having sex with clients, too. At the time, I enjoyed it and it was an active choice. I met clients online and worked around my studies.
“But things changed when, two years later, in 2016, I was raped by someone I’d thought was a friend – it didn’t occur through my sex work, but I had to take a break, as I suffered from PTSD and had flashbacks. I didn’t receive support from health professionals, so I was forced to take a break from my studies. That meant I no longer qualified for student loans, I couldn’t claim benefits and, due to my mental health issues, I still struggled with ‘regular’ jobs.
“During this time, I built up huge debts and I was forced to go back to sex work to pay off my debts. Suddenly, rather than choosing to engage in sex work, I felt I had to do it – and that’s when it became problematic for me. I really struggled for the next three years, before finally stopping in 2019 when I graduated, and could claim benefits.
“My experience has taught me that what might feel OK and empowering at first can quickly change. When I did sex work because I had to – not because I wanted to – it took its toll on me and I felt suicidal at times.
“That’s why I set up Support For Student Sex Workers, where we provide counselling and advice. For example, we will encourage people to only
do what they’re comfortable with sexually – to set their rules and follow them. The more you do things you do not want to do, the more you lose control of the situation, which can dramatically affect your mental wellbeing.
“We also give people advice on how to stay physically safe and out of danger, so we advise them to never get into a car without being sent the registration and checking it online first. We also suggest meeting in a public place and to make sure there is a record of your interactions with the people you talk to and meet.
“There are no easy answers when it comes to students engaging in sex work. There needs to be more support for students all round – from better benefits and paid
‘casual’ work to improved mental health support.”
● Visit supportforstudentsexworkers. org for more information.