Highlights
- Some sex workers claim they are forced to choose between complying with laws or preserving their safety
- Research on migrant sex workers in Australia is limited
- New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Victoria have all decriminalised sex work
- Age, education and the cultural background of sex workers varies from state to state
- Research in Sydney suggests that immigrants from Thailand, China and South Korea make up a substantial proportion of sex workers in Australia
Warning: this content is sensitive and contains information and testimonials related to prostitution, exploitation and sexual abuse.
Luca (not his real name) is an international student who is 23 and worked in the sex industry for four months in Melbourne to pay for his student visa.
Leilande, 38, also from Melbourne, works double shifts in aged care during the week and as a sex worker on the weekends.
Thales (not his real name), 26, has been working in Australia as a sex worker for six years and travels to several cities around the country to service his clients.
Sex industry laws in Australia are determined by state and territory governments Source: SBS / SBS World News
They told SBS Portuguese about how they took care of their mental and physical health as well as how they navigated the complex sex work laws in place in various states in Australia.
The marginalisation of the profession
Each Australian state has its own laws regarding sex work, making it difficult for foreigners to understand exactly what is allowed and where it is allowed.
Scarlet Alliance, the Australian Sex Workers Association, has been working since 1989 to advocate decriminalising the profession across the country.
Mish Pony, Chief Operating Officer at Scarlet Alliance, says it is of utter importance for Australia to completely decriminalise sex work in every state so that such industry is regulated and supported by the same types of laws that protect other professions.
This move would ultimately give sex workers and clients transparency and security, Ms Pony says.
She points out that: "the difficulties created by a licensed or partially criminalised sex work industry results in the formation of a two-tiered industry, where businesses and sex workers who are unable to comply are exposed to criminalisation.
"Sex workers face the difficult decision of complying with laws that put their safety and right to privacy at risk, or working safely, which in turn puts them at risk of criminalisation and prosecution."
Lawyer, Valmor Gomes Morais, Brazil's former honorary consul to Queensland, says migrants are more vulnerable and laws varied widely between states.
"A clear example of how Australian laws are complex regarding sex work: in Queensland, it is a felony to offer sex services without condoms; in South Australia, where the sex industry is highly criminalised, condoms may be used as evidence to charge sex workers and their clients; in New South Wales, sex workers are allowed to welcome their clients at home, whereas in Victoria, it is strictly forbidden," Mr Morais said.
'Quick money is not easy money'
Luca, who asked SBS Portuguese not to use his real name because it could "unfortunately affect my hiring in another business or industry", says people say prostitution is connected to fast money, but that doesn't mean it comes easily.
"Two hours with a client gets me the same amount as a standard whole week of work," he said.
"Some bookings are very hard to handle. I would always give myself a treat afterwards to compensate. Invariably, I always ended up spending most of the money."
Luca, 23, international student Source: Supplied
In two hours with my clients, I could earn the same as 40 hours working in hospitality.Luca, sex worker in Australia
He says he didn't know how a person was going to be or act until he opened his door. "It's always a surprise," he adds.
"Considering some previous conversations are handled through text messages, this curiosity and uncertainty brings insecurity and adrenaline to each encounter.
"Your job is to give pleasure to each and every person who's willing to hire you."
Credit: Unsplash/Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona
When you're at the client's place, an unknown place, you have far less control.
"You don't know if that person is telling the truth about who they are or if there's somebody else inside, or even if you're being filmed without your consent," he said.
Source: SBS / SBS World News
Abusive childhood and marriage
Leilande, who has been working with an NGO that helps victims of sex trafficking, says she had a very troubled childhood involving sexual abuse from her father who eventually abandoned the family when her mother became pregnant with her little brother.
"After that, she got married again, and my stepfather would also abuse me. I got into prostitution when I was 14 on the streets of Sao Paulo," she said.
"I married a client at 16 and came to Australia with my second husband, who was an Australian. Once here, he forced me to have intercourse with his friends and also with strangers in exchange for money.
"After a lot of abuse, the matter was finally settled in the Australian courts."
Thales, who's been working as a sex worker for the past six years, says he told his mother about his job over the phone.
"Her reaction wasn't very good, since the profession goes against her morals and religious beliefs," he said.
"She eventually came to terms with it and learned to respect my decision; now our relationship is great.
My father says he's really proud I accomplished my financial independence here in Australia, and that what's really important is that I'm happy.
Leilande took her sexual abuse case to the Australian court.
Handling physical and mental health
Leilande, who has been living in Melbourne for 10 years, says she quit drugs a year and a half ago and has been sober ever since.
"I intend to write a book about my story and to help people who are in or who have been through situations such as mine," she said.
"It is so fulfilling to work with aged care, because I feel I'm helping people. When I get home, I'm at peace."
Thales says he intends to work as an escort for many more years to come.
He states he has a healthy lifestyle and that he sees his doctor for regular checkups.
"I wear condoms and I take PrEP, a medicine that anyone with an active sexual life can get. For those unaware, PrEP is a medicine that prevents HIV infection during sex," he said.
Thales, 26, has been a sex worker in Australia for six years. He has clients in several cities across the country. Source: Supplied
World's oldest profession is now just a click away
Thales says the Internet had meant that prostitution left streets and dance clubs and moved on to escort websites, accessed by a single click.
"The world's (so-called) oldest profession keeps updating itself, and we need to stop pretending it does not exist," he said.
"In my opinion, such a profession should be regulated and decriminalised all over the globe so that it is no longer regarded as taboo but (instead) seen as natural."
More protection and help from the law
Mr Morais says Australia should follow the same model as New Zealand.
He says that in New Zealand, industry professionals have rights like all other professions and can even count on the support of the police and government if they need help.
Mr Morais recalls that “...during the (lockdown) period of the COVID-19 pandemic, sex workers received social security benefits and unemployment insurance like any other worker (in New Zealand). It is the humanisation of the oldest profession in the world, being duly protected by law.
“If someone asked me: 'Would you like your children, siblings or someone in your family to be a sex worker?' I wouldn't particularly like it because of the complexity of this industry. But if they were, I would like them to have all the rights and protections that already exist in all professions."
Mish Pony from Scarlet Alliance points out that "despite the fact that New Zealand is a world forerunner when it comes to labor rights for sex workers with the Prostitution Reform Act 2003, Section 19 stipulates that anyone with a temporary visa - whether a student visa or a work and holiday visa - is legally allowed to participate in the sex work industry."
Research on immigrant sex workers in Australia is limited however a recent study entitled suggests that immigrants, particularly from Thailand, China and South Korea, make up a substantial proportion of sex workers in Australia.
Each Australian state and territory has a sex worker organisation where you can find relevant information and support for sex workers. to access this content made available by the Scarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Workers Association.
Follow on , and and listen to . Listen to live on Wednesdays and Sundays at 12 pm or whenever you want on .
Related content
Transitioning in Translation
