04 Mar 1 in 3 sex workers have degrees – survey
Nearly 40 percent of sex workers in the UK have a degree from either college or university, a recent study has found.
The study, which took data from British sex workers who were not trafficked into selling sex but had chosen to do so, revealed that 38 percent held an undergraduate degree, with a further 17 percent completing a level of postgraduate study.
The research by Leeds University, with additional funding from the Wellcome Trust, took information from 240 sex workers, including 196 women, 28 men and 12 transgender people.
More than 70 percent of respondents had previously held jobs in the healthcare, educational or charity sector, the study found.
The second most prominent area of employment was retail, with 33 percent having worked in the industry.
The study also focused on the reasons why respondents had turned to sex work. One worker said she had been unable to keep up her mortgage repayments while earning £50 per day as an NHS healthcare assistant.
It also found 113 sex workers (47 percent) had been victims of crime, including rape and robbery, while 86 (36 percent) had received threatening texts, calls or emails.
Dr Teela Sanders, the study’s principal researcher, recommended that sex workers “be allowed to legally work together” to enhance their safety.
Source: RT