Safety in the Sex Industry

The study of the safety of sex workers in the sex industry is complicated by several factors. The industry operates in an illegal environment, and even where prostitution is formally legalised certain sectors of the industry remain illegal. For example, in Victoria brothel prostitution is legal whereas street prostitution is not. Because of these variations in legality, obtaining accurate information from sex workers about their risk behaviours, typically by selfreport, is very difficult. For example, self-reported drug abuse may have negative ramifications for the sex worker who may believe that such disclosure could expose her to legal consequences. Furthermore, the pursuit for legitimacy by many within the industry, or those associated with it, has the potential to distort data collection and interpretation, especially where an adverse finding about harms or risks may work against the stated goal of legalised prostitution.