BIG ISSUE

Sex work during lockdown

Sex workers are often stigmatised in ‘normal’ times, but since the introduction of COVID-19 regulations, the organisations where I work, CLASH (Central London Action on Sexual Health) and SHOC (Sexual Health on Call), have noticed that this has increased. There are voices who seek someone to blame for the spread of the pandemic and sex workers are often in the firing line.

At a time when we are only really supposed to have sex with people we live with — clients are not normally part of an escort’s bubble — sex workers are worried about being judged if they continue to work. And this fear is making them reluctant to use the health services they need more than ever.

NHS services CLASH and SHOC have been supporting sex workers for more than 30 years. During the pandemic we have tried to get the message out there that our clinics remain open for sex workers of all genders. We have also continued our street outreach work targeting the most vulnerable in the community. Our team is not here to judge anyone.

Despite the Government message to ‘Stay At Home’, many of our patients have had to carry on working throughout the pandemic in order to survive. Escorts in the LGBTQ+ community are often self-employed; without access to furlough schemes, their work may be their only income. In doing so, they are potentially putting themselves at risk. Although some improvise, it is a challenge to wear PPE when escorting.

Concerns about being judged for continuing to work may mean that they don’t access treatment for STIs and HIV, or that they fail to renew a prescription for PrEP.

The conditions brought by the pandemic have made this line of work more precarious, which carries further health implications. There is something of a ‘buyer’s market’, with sex workers taking more health risks than usual.

For instance, they may offer a fuller service, including barebacking, for less money. Even if they are on PrEP, the reliance on offering unprotected sex to secure income can lead to an increase in some STIs. This is especially true for certain groups; trans men, for example, may find themselves offering a specialist service for regulars they can trust, but are finding that these clients are currently staying away.

We have also seen some guys and trans people willing to take drugs while working at the request of a client. This can blur boundaries, and some male escorts report spending many hours with a punter, often in a chemsex context, with no extra income to show for it. Incidentally, those working to fund a drug habit have reported that the quality has been compromised, resulting in potentially lethal consequences.

This work carries an increased risk of sexual violence and we collaborate with charities including male sex abuse support group SurvivorsUK, and National Ugly Mugs, which aims to protect sex workers from violent clients.

Physical health is not the only concern. Sex workers have been more likely to suffer poor mental health over the past year. Those that usually work together for safety reasons have risked breaking the law if they do so, leaving many feeling more isolated than ever before. This increase in isolation inevitably leads to mental health problems at a time when support services are harder to access.

Working online means LGBTQ+ escorts are less at risk of physical violence, but downsides remain. Escorts are more vulnerable to time wasters, threats of blackmail and doxing (where someone threatens to link their sex work profile with their social media profile). On the plus side, some escorts carry out their own background checks on callers before offering a service, but under lockdown all these negotiations are more challenging. Many sex workers in our community are also migrants, and some are dealing with the added challenges of Brexit.

LGBTQ+ sex workers may also face the additional barriers of trans, bi and homophobia. Some aren’t out in their community about their work. Those that are often find that the response to their having a bad day at work during the pandemic is an unhelpful “You shouldn’t be doing it.” Although other ‘service providers’ are congratulated for carrying on the good work, sex workers are often vilified and condemned.

Our advice to sex workers in the LGBTQ+ community is to talk to us, and if you know of anyone involved in the industry, encourage them to talk to you or to visit the link below.

“Our clinics remain open for sex workers of all genders”

cnwl.nhs.uk/services/sexual-health