Sex workers working within a legalised industry: Their side of the story

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the characteristics and work attitudes of female sex workers working in licensed brothels in Victoria, Australia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of sex workers working at 38 of the 92 licensed brothels operating in Victoria during 2006. Results: Of the 108 women approached, 97 (90%) completed the questionnaire. Women working in the legal sex industry in Victoria were generally aged between 23 and 35 years (51%), had completed high school (26%) and had worked in the industry for more than 5 years (43%). Half had dependent children and one third were in a relationship. Women's primary motivation for working in the sex industry was financial, whether this was t..