Sex Work vs Trafficking: Understanding the Difference and What It Means for Safety

When people talk about sex work, the consensual exchange of sexual services for money or goods, often as a form of labor. Also known as prostitution, it is a reality for many adults who choose this work to survive, support families, or gain independence. Too often, it’s lumped together with human trafficking, the forced exploitation of people through coercion, deception, or violence, often for labor or sexual purposes. This confusion isn’t just inaccurate—it’s dangerous. Sex work is not trafficking. Trafficking is not sex work. One involves choice and consent. The other is about control and abuse. But when laws and media blur the lines, it’s sex workers who pay the price.

When politicians push for "ending prostitution," they often target sex workers with raids, arrests, and evictions—not traffickers. Loitering laws, prostitution-free zones, and digital data seizures don’t rescue anyone. They push people into darker corners, make it harder to screen clients, and destroy safe housing. Meanwhile, traffickers keep operating because the real problem—exploitation and lack of economic options—is never addressed. Sex workers use tools like encrypted apps, safety check-ins, and peer networks to protect themselves every day. These aren’t luxuries. They’re survival tactics made necessary by laws that treat them like criminals instead of workers.

The fight for sex worker rights isn’t about defending exploitation. It’s about recognizing autonomy. It’s about letting people who choose this work access housing, healthcare, and legal protection without fear. It’s about stopping police from treating every person on the street as a victim or a criminal—when most are just trying to get through the day. Real solutions don’t come from shutting down streets or seizing phones. They come from listening to those doing the work, removing barriers to safety, and separating consent from coercion.

What you’ll find below isn’t theory. It’s real advice from people who live this every day. From how to document violence without police involvement, to securing your home when you’re targeted by landlords, to using digital tools that actually keep you safe—these posts are packed with what works. No fluff. No judgment. Just clear, practical steps to stay alive and in control.