Commercial sex work--especially the kind that occurs on the streets--exists at the nexus of several distinct and interrelated social problems. Addiction, homelessness and involvement in criminal justice systems are three very common difficulties faced by women working the streets. When income derived from sex trading enables them to confront these challenges with greater self-agency, the pious admonitions of social workers and the threats of the law alike will fall on deaf ears. They are meeting their challenges with the tools available to them.

The challenge for women seeking to leave the lifestyle behind and those who profess to help them is the same: to minimize the harm associated with sex trading, secure reliable income support, including living-wage employment, stable housing and meaningful access to medical and legal assistance.

To accomplish this demands we seek out and listen to the needs of current and former sex workers as they articulate them in their own terms.