At the Intersection of COVID-19 and Sex Work in the United States: A Call for Social Work Action

Abstract

The emergence of COVID-19 in the United States in early 2020 has severely disrupted the lives of most Americans, and people engaged in sex trade are no exception. People in sex work encounter multiple challenges when trying to access the services they need, particularly as they fear arrest, stigma, and pathology related to their work. These barriers have been amplified during the global COVID-19 pandemic, as sex trade workers may further lack access to crucially needed health care and may not have a mechanism for generating a basic income to meet their daily survival needs. Using an intersectional feminist lens, in this article, we discuss the impact of COVID-19 on people in sex work while highlighting sex workers’ resiliency and community action in the face of the pandemic. We highlight empowerment work led by black and brown sex worker communities. As authors and advocates, we call for critical feminist social work action that situates social workers as advocates for the human rights, well-being, and health of individuals in sex work, with a focus on centering the voices of those with lived experience and a focus on harm reduction, during and in the lingering aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What will we do if we get infected?”: An interview-based study of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the health and safety of sex workers in the United States

“…People driving around and then the girls walking around” (34 years old, Native American, cisgender woman). Relative to other kinds of work, street-based sex workers are typically of lower socioeconomic status and are more likely to be racial minorities ( Ellison, 2018 ; Lazarus et al, 2012 ; Li, Detels, & Lin, 2012 ), while sex work criminalization disproportionately affects street-based and sex workers of color ( Bromfield et al, 2021 ; Hayes‐Smith & Shekarkhar, 2010 ; Platt, 2019 ). Thus, while sex workers broadly have experienced lost work opportunity during the pandemic, these losses appear most pronounced among those at the intersections of race and class.…”

“…While sex work is itself a disadvantaged social identity, intersectionality helps expand our focus to contend with the multiplicative effects that arise as sex work intersects with oppressions of race, gender, class, and other social strata ( Ham, 2020 ). Some have explicitly advocated for an intersectional approach to understand and react to the impacts of COVID-19 on migrant sex workers and sex workers of color ( Bromfield et al, 2021 ). Further, intersectionality has helped illuminate how disparities in COVID-19 infection rates, hospitalizations, and deaths result from intersecting racism, sexism, classism, and transphobia ( Bowleg, 2020 ).…”

“…Even prior to the pandemic, sex workers in the U.S. – especially those who experience intersectional oppression in terms of race, class, and gender – faced considerable health and social disparities in terms of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, mental health, physical and sexual violence, stigma, and discrimination ( Baral et al, 2014 ; Goldenberg, Duff, & Krusi, 2015 ; Harcourt & Donovan, 2005 ; Platt et al, 2018 ; Poteat et al, 2015 ; Rhodes et al, 2012 ; Scambler & Paoli, 2008 ; Shannon & Csete, 2010 ; Shannon et al, 2008 , 2015 ; Vanwesenbeeck, 2017 ). These disparities have likely exacerbated the risks and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic among sex work populations, leading numerous health bodies, researchers, and activists to urge for targeted support initiatives ( Bromfield, Panichelli, & Capous-Desyllas, 2021 ; Jozaghi & Bird, 2020 ; Karamouzian, Johnson, & Kerr, 2020 ; Kawala, Kirui, & Cumber, 2020 ; Lam, 2020a ; UNAIDS, 2020 ); as Platt and colleagues advocated in a 2020 editorial: “sex workers must not be forgotten in the COVID-19 response” ( Platt et al, 2020 ). Unfortunately, there has been little research on the pandemic's health and other effects on sex workers, representing a considerable gap in current knowledge that impedes effective intervention efforts.…”

“…In the U.S. and elsewhere, sex work organizations reacted to the pandemic's financial implications through cash-assistance programs funded mainly through small donations and mutual aid and other support initiatives ( The Scarlet Alliance, 2020 ; Brouwers & Herrmann, 2020 ; Callander, Meunier, et al, 2020b ; Platt et al, 2020 ). And reflecting the intersectional needs of sex workers during the pandemic, several organizations in the U.S. have worked to deliver programming and support to, among others, sex workers of color, migrant sex workers, and those who live in poverty ( Bromfield et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Despite the efforts of sex work activists and organizations, there is some evidence that sex workers have struggled to access key health and support services during the pandemic ( Adebisi et al, 2020 ; Bromfield et al, 2021 ; Howard, 2020 ; Kimani et al, 2020 ; The Scarlet Alliance, 2020 ; Tan et al, 2020 ). Particular attention has been paid to HIV prevention and management, as sex workers globally and in the U.S. bear a disproportionate burden of this infection ( Kerrigan et al, 2013 ; Paz-Bailey, Noble, Salo, & Tregear, 2016 ).…”