However, more needs to be done to target young women. Consensual sex work, like non-commercial sex, mostly happens behind closed doors. Yet stigma toward and ignorance about sex workers makes people panic when we try to talk about reform.
Understanding laws that govern sex work can be complicated and confusing, especially because laws are not uniform globally, or even within each country.
How can computer scientists help combat this problem? South Africa has launched a plan to tackle HIV, TB and sexually transmitted infections — but much depends on its implementation over the next five years. When we think of post-traumatic stress disorder, we tend to think of soldiers returning from war. But other sections of society are far more likely to suffer from repeated bouts of trauma. Governments and campaigners are keeping schtum when it comes to webcamming.
The laws regulating the sex industry are a mess — MPs are doing an important job examining them. Empirical evidence and a recommendation from Amnesty International are making it increasingly difficult for naysayers to ignore the ways that sex workers are harmed by criminalization. Verbatim theatre is being adopted more and more to give a voice to marginalised communities in the hope of instigating social change.
Is the status quo really that bad? Ignoring the protests of Hollywood actresses, Amnesty International has come out for the decriminalization of prostitution. Both sides of the debate claim to have the evidence, but only one is right.
