APD | How Sex workers are doing during pandemic?

By APD writer Imdad Hussain

Covid-19 presents a new problem for sex workers. In-person sex work is intimate by its very nature, and workers are at increased risk of contracting the virus if they keep working. But without work, as lockdown restrictions are imposed, sex workers struggle to survive.

They are facing dire financial and personal circumstances as fear of the coronavirus extends into every corner of life, with some under pressure to work in increasingly risky conditions.

In many countries including South Africa, Tanzania, and the United States sex work is criminalized directly or indirectly and sex workers are forced to work in the informal economy, find themselves excluded from emergency assistance available to other workers. However, Japan has announced financial aid for sex workers during these difficult times.

They are often from groups that are already marginalized economically and socially, such as undocumented migrants, people of color, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, some of whom have been pushed out of their families due to homophobia.

The women associated with sex business have been left with two option during the pandemic; one, adopt to social distancing and restrict themselves to homes and leave earning money or two, continue their work which poses threat to them as well as to their customers life.

Another question whether to do sex during the pandemic is safe is self-explanatory as social distancing is key to avert spread of the virus, so, if there are symptoms of corona virus, one must follow social distancing and alienate yourself, even in own home and be realistic about it.

Though some sex workers have restricted themselves to homes but they are facing increasing pressure from customers for meeting in person not caring for as the virus transmission is a matter of mere minutes. In the wake of the pandemic, identity issue is another crisis that is taking its toll on those associated with this work with falling rates.

These workers are also shifting to online option for continuing their work where besides exchange of pleasantries naked pictures and videos can be shared to tame the demanding customers.

According to one such website during lockdowns its number of customers has seen substantial upsurge during February and March as 150 thousand new customers appeared on the website, five times more as compared with the same months of last year.

They cannot stay away from their work as they would be left with no money to pay for their basic requirements like food, house rent and utility bills etc. Despite the imminent dangers, they are forced to look for options as still ads related to convenience for sex are readily available.

However, the dangers to health of sex workers in the face of increased demand during the pandemic sex toys whose overall volume in 2019 stood at 27 billion dollars has witnessed manifold increase in demand all over the world.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)