How vulnerable are sex workers?

[Davidontour]

Much as I dislike visiting TORL's website, I think it's important to be aware of their arguments, such as they are.

Here is today's soundbite for consideration:

''Women involved in prostitution are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, and to violent attack and the threat of violence.''

[Davidontour]

My personal take is that escorts take considerably more precautions to protect themselves and their clients than those involved in casual encounters. Quite apart from their own health, it is in the interests of any sex worker to remain free of STDs from a business viewpoint.

There is no doubt that sex work in terms of implied or actual violence is more dangerous than being say a librarian. But is it more dangerous than being in the police, the armed forces, an A&E worker or even a taxi driver? I have a friend who up until recently was a GP receptionist in London. She was physically assaulted, verbally abused, spat on and had three death threats just this year. Are there NGO campaigns to 'rescue' such workers?

I would also contend that societal attitude towards sex workers excuses and even tries to justify physical and verbal attacks.

[samlad]

Much as I dislike visiting TORL's website, I think it's important to be aware of their arguments, such as they are.

Here is today's soundbite for consideration:

''Women involved in prostitution are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, and to violent attack and the threat of violence.''

According to a statement given by Dr Derek Freedman, STI's are actually rare in clients, and rather than violence, guilt seems to be the problem because of the stigma reinforced by the likes of TORL that sex workers are ridden with STIs:

"The consultant said STDs were rare in clients, but said he did see psychological effects.

“We see anxiety, stress, guilt, remorse, and a great fear of infecting a spouse or partner. This can come to the degree it can be quite overwhelming, disabling, and on occasion we’ve had to have people admitted for psychiatric care.”

Regarding plans to adopt the Swedish model, he said: “I think you’ve got to think extremely carefully before you do that because that is certainly going to make our work much more difficult."

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland...es-220520.html

[bollocks]

Much as I dislike visiting TORL's website, I think it's important to be aware of their arguments, such as they are.

Here is today's soundbite for consideration:

''Women involved in prostitution are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, and to violent attack and the threat of violence.''

Surely encounters at night clubs and pubs etc are far more likely to be the source of std's

[Batterburger]

Much as I dislike visiting TORL's website, I think it's important to be aware of their arguments, such as they are.

Here is today's soundbite for consideration:

''Women involved in prostitution are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, and to violent attack and the threat of violence.''

It's true, was with a girl the other day and she had a sorry tale to tell, girls can't go to the cops generally and are very exposed to violence

[Empirical]

Escorts are reported to have one of the lowest rates of STIs. The group with the highest rate, or greatest increase, are the over 50s—no connection to escorting at all.

As for violence; you may remember Jim Wells at the NI Assembly Justice committee harping on about 127 murdered prostitutes in Amsterdam as evidence that legalisation was actively harmful.

Firstly, the figure seems to be 33. Secondly, many (?most) were domestic violence, and not because the girls were escorts.

I have read somewhere that 2 women a week are murdered weekly in England (or GB); victims of domestic violence.

Working out how dangerous it is to be an escort is extremely difficult; unsurprisingly, many/most would not go to the cops; and TORL etc seem to have a complete disregard for accuracy in their "statistics".

[Alyssa Jenkins]

There is no reason an escort wouldn't go to the cops if anything happened to me I for one would go to the Garda why not I'm within the law?
The dangers are there in escorting but the constant media coverage with this whole campaign I believe is putting escorts in more danger also the Swedish model could influence violence to escorts in terms of then then not wanting to report issues due to the fact of wanting to protect their location and clients from being fined. A friend in Norway told me when this law
first came in there it was like avoiding police and bad situations and it wasn't pleasant at all leaving escorts nowhere to turn to.

I disagree about the STI statement I think anyone related to sexwork would always be extra careful and be having health checks.
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