4. Social Work and Counseling Must Be Promoted More Strongly
Sex work is a multifaceted profession that involves various tasks and challenges: Sex workers must find a suitable workplace, provide sexual services, minimize the risks to their physical and psychological well-being, establish relationships with clients (often by managing websites or profiles on relevant online platforms), manage their business financially, accounting and tax wise, observe various legal framework conditions and much more. However, there is no training that prepares people for the profession of “sex worker”. Colleagues can provide valuable tips and guidance, however many sex workers work alone and there are few (funded) opportunities for peer-to-peer exchange (see recommendation 3). Therefore, many sex workers have a high need for guidance, support and/or help in coping with their day-to-day work. This is all the more true if they are affected by other vulnerability factors, for example if they are still very young, have no knowledge of German and/or live or work illegally. If there are no support structures for sex workers, agents, pimps or even landlords can take advantage of this situation by supposedly offering help but in reality creating an exploitative relationship. It can be concluded from the results of the study that:
Sex workers should not have to fend for themselves or rely on the help of exploitative people. They can be professionally supported and advised by accepting social workers and counselors who can accompany them. Special counseling centers, drug and HIV-support services and health authorities have the opportunity, through their services and facilities and through outreach work, to maintain close contact with sex workers – all the more so if the staff include people with experience of sex work and people with sensitivity for different socio-cultural backgrounds (for example, people from the same countries as some of the clients).
The following areas of action emerged from the focus group discussions, which should be addressed by promoting appropriate social work and counseling services:
- For people who are thinking about starting out in sex work, we recommend initial counseling sessions at special counseling centers. There they can obtain factual information about the advantages and disadvantages of the job as well as the current conditions and prospects in the industry so that they can make an informed decision for or against entering sex work. They can also get immediate tips, should they decide to do so.
- Outreach counseling for initial contact with sex workers who have not yet been connected to any support organization.
- Promotion of peer counseling and peer-to-peer exchange (see recommendation 3).
- Professionalization measures for sex workers in order to achieve the highest possible degree of safe and self-determined work. This includes for example teaching negotiation and enforcement techniques as well as professional attitudes towards sex work and information about rights and obligations.
- Voluntary and anonymous counseling on ways to protect ones sexual health need to be greatly expanded, in particular about other safer sex methods in addition to condoms – such as PrEP (as an additional HIV protection method) and PEP (as an emergency measure).
- Some sex workers want to stop sex work, but are unable to do so due to many structural obstacles such as a lack of language skills, illiteracy or homelessness. In order to support sex workers in their professional reorientation, exit/transition counseling must be promoted. For success, it is extremely important that these services are accepting. Drug users in particular and undocumented migrants must not be excluded. The transition services must also be accepting of sex work and must not require that people stop sex work while they are in sex work reorientation process. In addition, the transition programs must be financially adequate.
To enable them to fulfill these extremely important tasks and functions, it is necessary to expand financial and human resources of specialized counselling centres (in the areas of sex work and human trafficking), drug support centers, HIV service organizations and health authorities as well as the establishment of new permanent services. The cuts in the social sector pose a serious threat to many current and future sex workers. If this trend is not stopped, an increase in exploitation can be expected as a result.