Portal:Sex work

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Introduction

Sex work is "the exchange of sexual services, performances, or products for material compensation. It includes activities of direct physical contact between buyers and sellers as well as indirect sexual stimulation". Sex work only refers to voluntary sexual transactions; thus, the term does not refer to human trafficking and other coerced or nonconsensual sexual transactions such as child prostitution. The transaction must take place between consenting adults of the legal age and mental capacity to consent and must take place without any methods of coercion, other than payment. The term emphasizes the labor and economic implications of this type of work. Furthermore, some prefer the use of the term because it grants more agency to the sellers of these services. (Full article...)

Selected article - show another

Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penetrative sex, manual sex, oral sex, etc.) with the customer. The requirement of physical contact also creates the risk of transferring infections. Prostitution is sometimes described as sexual services, commercial sex or, colloquially, hooking. It is sometimes referred to euphemistically as "the world's oldest profession" in the English-speaking world. A person who works in this field is called a prostitute, and sometimes a sex worker, but the words hooker and whore are also sometimes used to describe those who work as prostitutes.

Prostitution occurs in a variety of forms, and its legal status varies from country to country (sometimes from region to region within a given country), ranging from being an enforced or unenforced crime, to unregulated, to a regulated profession. It is one branch of the sex industry, along with pornography, stripping, and erotic dancing. Brothels are establishments specifically dedicated to prostitution. In escort prostitution, the act may take place at the client's residence or hotel room (referred to as out-call), or at the escort's residence or a hotel room rented for the occasion by the escort (in-call). Another form is street prostitution.

According to a 2011 report by Fondation Scelles there are about 42 million prostitutes in the world, living all over the world (though most of Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa lack data, studied countries in that large region rank as top sex tourism destinations). Estimates place the annual revenue generated by prostitution worldwide to be over $100 billion. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Selected images

Image 1Tart cards in a British phone box advertising the services of call girls (from Prostitution)
Image 2The red light district in Amsterdam (from Sex work)
Image 3A prostitute in Amsterdam's red-light district talks with a potential customer. (from Prostitution)
Image 4The Procuress by Dirck van Baburen (1622) (from Prostitution)
Image 5Prostitutes on display in Yoshiwara during the Meiji Period, Japan (from Prostitution)
Image 6News report about three brothels operating in Albuquerque, New Mexico that were raided by police in 1922 (from Prostitution)
Image 7A prostitute and her customer illustrated on an ancient Greek wine cup; the act of prostitution is indicated by the coin purse above the figures. (from Prostitution)
Image 8World map of prostitution laws
  Decriminalization – No criminal penalties for prostitution
  Legalization (regulation) – Prostitution legal and regulated
  Abolitionism – Prostitution is legal, but organized activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal; prostitution is not regulated
  Neo-abolitionism (Nordic model) – Illegal to buy sex and for 3rd party involvement, legal to sell sex
  Prohibitionism – Prostitution illegal in all aspects (selling and buying)
  Legality varies with local laws
(from Sex work)
Image 9A street prostitute talking to a potential customer in Turin, Italy, 2005 (from Prostitution)
Image 10Prostitution Information Centre in Amsterdam (from Prostitution)
Image 11Sex workers demonstrating for better working conditions at the 2009 Marcha Gay in Mexico City (from Sex work)
Image 12Statue to honor the sex workers of the world. Installed March 2007 in Amsterdam, Oudekerksplein, in front of the Oude Kerk, in Amsterdam's red-light district De Wallen. Titled Belle, the inscription to the piece says "Respect sex workers all over the world." (from Prostitution)
Image 13World map of pornography (18+) laws
  Pornography legal
  Pornography legal under some restrictions
  Pornography illegal
  Data unavailable
(from Sex work)
Image 14An Ancient Greek urn depicts a prostitute and her client. (from Sex work)
Image 15
  Legalization – prostitution legal and regulated
  Decriminalization – No criminal penalties for prostitution
  Abolitionism – prostitution is legal, but organized activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal; prostitution is not regulated
  Neo-abolitionism – illegal to buy sex and for 3rd party involvement, legal to sell sex
  Prohibitionism – prostitution illegal
  Legality varies with local laws
(from Prostitution)
Image 16De Wallen red-light district in Amsterdam (from Prostitution)
Image 17Prostitute c. 1890. (from Prostitution)
Image 18A liberated Chinese girl who had been forced in to sexual slavery by the Japanese military sits on a stretcher and speaks to a British military serviceman. (from Prostitution)
Image 19Brothel scene; Brunswick Monogrammist, 1537; Gemäldegalerie, Berlin (from Prostitution)
Image 20A political cartoon from 1787 jesting about the notion of taxation affecting prostitutes (from Prostitution)
Image 21Women in an early San Francisco bordello in 1870 (from Prostitution)
Image 22Fresco from the Pompeii brothel (from Prostitution)
Image 23A sex worker in Berlin in 2001 (from Sex work)
Image 24An oiran preparing herself for a client, ukiyo-e print by Suzuki Haronubu (1765) (from Prostitution)
Image 25Stickers affixed to a payphone in São Paulo, 2006 (from Prostitution)
Image 26A detail from plate 1 of William Hogarth's (1697–1764) The Harlot's Progress, showing brothel-keeper Elizabeth Needham, on the right, procuring a young woman who has just arrived in London (from Prostitution)
Image 27Kisaeng women from outcast or slave families. (from Prostitution)

Related portals

Selected general sex worker

Image 1
Alvin Tan Jye Yee (Chinese: 陳杰毅; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Kia̍t-gē) is a Malaysian pornographic film performer. He gained prominence for a blog publicising his sexual activities with his girlfriend, and later became controversial for his criticism of Islam, leading him to flee Malaysia and seek political asylum in the United States. He calls himself a "free speech activist". (Full article...)
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Siragusa in 2022

Kaitlyn Siragusa (born 1993), known professionally as Amouranth (/ˈæmərænθ/), is an American Internet celebrity and webcam model. Siragusa is also known for her ASMR-themed livestreams on Twitch. (Full article...)
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Richard Holt Locke (June 11, 1941 – September 25, 1996) was an American actor in gay erotic films of the 1970s and 1980s, who went on to become an AIDS educator and activist. As a performer in adult cinema, Locke has been credited with being one of the "earliest and most widely emulated VCR stars" in gay erotic cinema, as well as someone whose performance and physicality contributed to the evolution of gay sexual behavior in the 1970s and 1980s. (Full article...)
Image 4

Lindemulder in 2010

Janine Lindemulder is an American pornographic actress, often credited mononymously as Janine. She is a member of the AVN Hall of Fame and the XRCO Hall of Fame. In 1999, she was pictured on the cover of pop-punk band Blink-182's third album, Enema of the State. (Full article...)
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Piri on stage at Radio 1 Big Weekend

Sophie Leigh McBurnie (born 14 March 1999), known professionally as Piri, is an English musician. Born in Rochdale in Greater Manchester, she is half of the band Piri & Tommy and a member of the female and genderqueer collective Loud LDN. Piri is noted for her frog motif, for running an OnlyFans account alongside her music career, for her pole dancing, and for her openness.

Three of her works as half of Piri & Tommy have entered the UK charts: their 2021 single "Soft Spot" reached No. 20 on the UK Independent Singles Breakers Chart, their 2022 single "On & On" went to No. 99 on the UK Singles Chart, and their 2022 mixtape Froge.mp3 made No. 13 on the UK Dance Albums Chart. "Soft Spot" was ranked No. 59 on Rolling Stone's "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time" in July 2022, while their 2022 works "Words", "On & On", and Froge.mp3, and their cover of Charli XCX and Kim Petras's "Unlock It" all appeared on year-end best-of lists. In addition, she co-wrote the Illit song "Magnetic", which charted at No. 80 on the UK Singles Chart, and has been named as an influence by Caity Baser. (Full article...)
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Morgan in 2017

Katie Morgan is an American pornographic actress. (Full article...)
Image 7

Rhodes at the GayVN Awards in 2006

James Elliott Naughtin (February 8, 1982 – June 14, 2012), known professionally as Erik Rhodes, was an American gay pornographic film actor and director. After making his adult film debut as a performer in 2004, Rhodes became an exclusive model with Falcon Studios, and began directing adult films for Raging Stallion Studios when the studio was acquired by Falcon in 2011. Beyond his work in pornography, Rhodes was active in New York City nightlife and celebrity circles, and was once linked to fashion designer Marc Jacobs. In 2012, Rhodes died from cardiac arrest at the age of 30. (Full article...)
Image 8

Steele at the 2014 AVN Awards

Clifton Todd Britt (born November 28, 1969), better known by his stage name Lexington Steele, is an American pornographic actor, director, producer, and former stockbroker. He is the owner of the adult production companies Mercenary Motion Pictures and Black Viking Pictures Inc.

In 2003, Steele became the first actor to receive the AVN Award for Male Performer of the Year three times. He has been inducted into the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame. Steele has also made several mainstream appearances, including the film Crank: High Voltage (2009) and episodes of Weeds and Nip/Tuck. (Full article...)
Image 9

Ireland at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo 2008

Kylie Ireland (born May 26, 1970) is an American pornographic actress, film director, producer, publicist, and satellite radio show host. She is an inductee into the AVN, XRCO, and NightMoves Halls of Fame. (Full article...)
Image 10

Karen Lancaume (born Karine Bach, 19 January 1973 – 28 January 2005) was a French pornographic film actress. She appeared in over 83 pornographic films between 1996 and 2000. She starred as Nadine in the 2000 film, Baise-moi, a mainstream film in which she performed unsimulated penetration and fellatio.

She was a nominee for the Best French Actress Hot d'Or in March 2000. (Full article...)
Image 11

Morgane in 2007

Clara Morgane (French pronunciation: [klaʁa mɔʁɡan] is a French singer and former pornographic film actress. (Full article...)
Image 12
Ronald Hightower (born January 25, 1966, in Los Angeles, California) is an American adult-mainstream director who began his career as a pornographic actor. He has also directed music videos for various hip-hop recording artists, particularly rappers. (Full article...)
Image 13
Justin Slayer (born Eugene Bell on September 10, 1972) is an American pornographic film actor and director. He is from Los Angeles, California.

He won the 2007 Adult Video News Awards "Best Ethnic Series - Latin" for the Mami Culo Grande series and "Best Ethnic Series - Black" for the Phatty Girls series. (Full article...)
Image 14
Honoka (Japanese: 穂花, Hepburn: Honoka) is a Japanese TV personality, actress, writer and former adult video (AV) performer who retired from the AV industry in 2008. (Full article...)
Image 15

Davis in 2005

Mark Davis (born 6 August 1965) is an English former pornographic actor, director, and exotic dancer. In 1998, The Independent labeled him "Britain's biggest male porn star in America". In 2012, he announced his retirement from the adult industry. He has been inducted into the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame. (Full article...)
Image 16

Michelle Ferrari in 2007

Michelle Ferrari, (born 22 December 1983) is an Italian pornographic actress and television personality.

Born as Cristina Ricci in La Spezia, Ferrari started her career in 2005 with an amateur film shot with her boyfriend of the time. She chose her stage name thanks to a vague resemblance to the television personality Michelle Hunziker. (Full article...)
Image 17
Jonathan Paul Koppenhaver (born November 30, 1981) is an American incarcerated felon, former professional mixed martial artist, and former pornographic actor. He is serving a life sentence for multiple counts of rape, kidnapping, domestic battery, and other charges.

Koppenhaver had a 14–5 overall record in mixed martial arts fighting in various MMA promotions, including Bellator and the UFC. He competed in the welterweight division. He was a fighter on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra as part of Team Serra and also competed for Bellator MMA, Tachi Palace Fights, BAMMA, and the Xtreme Fighting Championships. He also appeared in several pornographic films. (Full article...)
Image 18

Mayhem in 2007

Monica Mayhem (born 14 March 1978) is an Australian former pornographic actress, dancer and singer. (Full article...)
Image 19

Ryder at the 2011 AVN Awards show

Dylan Ryder (born February 23, 1981) is a former American pornographic film actress. (Full article...)
Image 20

Ovidie in 2014

Ovidie is a French director, actress, producer, journalist, former porn actress and a writer. First known as a porn actress from 1999 to 2003, she has since directed pornographic films as well as documentaries and has written several books. (Full article...)
Image 21
Pauline Chan Bo-Lin (simplified Chinese: 陈宝莲; traditional Chinese: 陳寶蓮; pinyin: Chén Bǎolián; May 23, 1973 – July 31, 2002) was a Hong Kong actress who aroused significant attraction and controversies in the Greater China Area during her active years in the 1990s. (Full article...)
Image 22

Carolin Ebert on 23 October 2010

Sexy Cora (born Carolin Ebert, civil name Carolin Wosnitza; 2 May 1987 – 20 January 2011) was a German pornographic actress, model, singer, exotic dancer, wife of Tim Wosnitza, and reality show participant.

Cora was born in Berlin. She was one of the participants of the 10th season of Big Brother Germany. Cora released two music singles after her Big Brother participation: "My Love – La, La, La" and "Lass uns kicken (Alles klar wunderbar)". (Full article...)
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Constance Money (born Susan Jensen; November 30, 1956) is an American former adult film actress. She played the lead role of Misty Beethoven in the 1976 adult classic The Opening of Misty Beethoven. (Full article...)
Image 24

Estelle Desanges in 2002

Estelle Desanges (born 8 March 1977) is a French former pornographic actress. During the 2000s, she was one of France's most popular porn actresses. (Full article...)
Image 25
Isabella de Luna (died 1564) was an Italian (originally Spanish) courtesan of Renaissance-era Rome. She was known as amusing company, having a kind heart but also a foul tongue. She was an accomplished musician. Amongst her patrons were members of the nobility and cardinals. (Full article...)

Did you know...

... that Lea Ackermann, a German nun of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, fought against forced prostitution and sex tourism in East Africa?
... that the posthumously released documentary Clean centered on the life of Sandra Pankhurst, a former sex worker, drag queen, and crime scene cleaner?
... that a Harvey's franchise known for being a hub for sex work was described by one artist as a "legendary Toronto icon"?