Money and selling sex – a complex relationship
Poverty and lack of choices are some of the key reasons why women may decide to start selling sex, with the money gained often used to cover their most basic needs such as food, housing and childcare. Yet, many women have described how the amount of money made through selling sex can be irregular and unstable – some of the factors we will explore in this article.
In 2022, the Encompass Snapshot found that support around benefits and debt were among the top five needs of women involved in selling or exchanging sex supported by Encompass services. A needs assessment by CLiCK Scotland also found that money was women’s number one worry when lockdown measures were introduced during the pandemic.
In this article, we look at the relationship between money and selling sex, how poverty can drive some women into selling sex, the additional financial pressures and needs that women have reported while being involved and how money can create a huge hurdle when women consider stopping. But first we must consider the dynamics of money when involved in the ‘sex industry’ and challenge the common misconception that selling sex is ‘easy money.’
The dynamics of money in the ‘sex industry’
In recent years, it has become common to see news headlines describing women who went from poverty to wealth by selling sexual content in online platforms like Only Fans, through the porn industry or by engaging in other aspects of the ‘sex industry.’ However, the relationship between money and selling sex is a complex one, and for most women money issues play a part in their decision to enter and remain in the industry.
Some common assumptions are that selling sex is ‘easy money,’ that women involved lead wealthy lifestyles and that it can solve their financial needs, but women have spoken about a very different reality. Selling sex is often supplementary to other low paid employment and a way to afford basic needs when in crisis. Some women have said that the idea of ‘easy money’ convinced them to start selling sex but soon realised money disappeared quickly. Katie shared the following experience in Inside Outside:
In 2022, the Encompass Snapshot found that support around benefits and debt were among the top five needs of women involved in selling or exchanging sex supported by Encompass services. A needs assessment by CLiCK Scotland also found that money was women’s number one worry when lockdown measures were introduced during the pandemic.
In this article, we look at the relationship between money and selling sex, how poverty can drive some women into selling sex, the additional financial pressures and needs that women have reported while being involved and how money can create a huge hurdle when women consider stopping. But first we must consider the dynamics of money when involved in the ‘sex industry’ and challenge the common misconception that selling sex is ‘easy money.’
The dynamics of money in the ‘sex industry’
In recent years, it has become common to see news headlines describing women who went from poverty to wealth by selling sexual content in online platforms like Only Fans, through the porn industry or by engaging in other aspects of the ‘sex industry.’ However, the relationship between money and selling sex is a complex one, and for most women money issues play a part in their decision to enter and remain in the industry.
Some common assumptions are that selling sex is ‘easy money,’ that women involved lead wealthy lifestyles and that it can solve their financial needs, but women have spoken about a very different reality. Selling sex is often supplementary to other low paid employment and a way to afford basic needs when in crisis. Some women have said that the idea of ‘easy money’ convinced them to start selling sex but soon realised money disappeared quickly. Katie shared the following experience in Inside Outside:
“The way it was described to me it was easy, easy money… yeah. It'd be easy. And it wasn't. I wasn't prepared... The money might be easy but it goes very easy as well. The more money that comes into your hand, the quicker you spend it. I went into it to get money and at one stage I had some savings but they don't last. The money doesn't last. You can make the money but once you're not new anymore, the money is harder to come by.”
In addition, being involved often carries a range of costs and fees that women must cover in order to secure clients, and profits must be shared with others in order to continue making money. One of the key expenses for women are payments to others who profit from the ‘sex industry,’ including pimps, escort managers, lap dancing venues, brothel and massage parlour owners, partners, controllers, online platforms, advertisers and others individuals such as photographers/ videographers.
A report by the University of Bristol found that women usually pay between 40% and 60% of their earnings from buyers to brothel owners, and may also need to pay fees for security, the receptionist and maid, and in some cases an overall day fee in addition to the above agreed share of profits.
The fees and costs women incur will depend on where and how they sell sex (online, on the streets, in a brothel, through an escorting agency, etc) and the frequency. Some of these can include: paying for condoms, lube, sex toys, make up, underwear, cosmetic interventions; professional photos, online adverts and listings; those working without an agency or pimp may need to pay rent for a flat; fees to brothels, escorting agencies, pimps and/or to organised crime; electronic equipment like cameras and lighting when selling sexual content and images online; among other costs.
Aside from material costs, frontline workers supporting women involved have also highlighted that, while selling sex can offer a short-term way to get quick cash to cope with immediate financial struggles, the impacts can outweigh the financial gains. Workers interviewed by SERP said: “while the sex trade may provide a woman with money, it can take many things away from her at the same time – such as her physical and mental health, her relationships with family and friends and sometimes even how she values herself.”
Money and poverty as drivers into selling sex
In the aftermath of the pandemic and with the current Cost of Living crisis, there has been a significant increase in the number of women who are considering or have started selling sex in order to afford bills and other essentials.
But poverty, debt and lack of opportunities were already present for women long before these latest crises, and these financial pressures have been shown to be some of the key drivers into the ‘sex industry.’ The latest Encompass Snapshot, for example, found that 90% of the 101 women supported by specialist services have been affected by rising prices, but many of them were already struggling before this crisis. Let’s look at some of the financial issues women have talked about when discussing why they started selling sex.
Poverty and lack of opportunities
The gendered nature of poverty means that women struggle more to earn money and keep savings compared to men because of unequal access to financial resources. For instance, women are still more likely to be underemployed or in precarious work. The Scottish Women’s Budget Group has reported that women continue to represent the majority of people in part-time work and since 2011 women in zero hour contracts increased by 320%.
On the other hand, Close the Gap found that women working part-time earn 26.9% less than men working full-time. Women are also twice as dependant on social security than men and represent 80% of those without paid employment due to caring responsibilities. Not only that, but research has found that once women have children, they are more likely to have little or no savings.
It is in this economic landscape that some women decide to start selling sex. Katie, for example, tells how selling sex became the only option to provide for her child:
A report by the University of Bristol found that women usually pay between 40% and 60% of their earnings from buyers to brothel owners, and may also need to pay fees for security, the receptionist and maid, and in some cases an overall day fee in addition to the above agreed share of profits.
The fees and costs women incur will depend on where and how they sell sex (online, on the streets, in a brothel, through an escorting agency, etc) and the frequency. Some of these can include: paying for condoms, lube, sex toys, make up, underwear, cosmetic interventions; professional photos, online adverts and listings; those working without an agency or pimp may need to pay rent for a flat; fees to brothels, escorting agencies, pimps and/or to organised crime; electronic equipment like cameras and lighting when selling sexual content and images online; among other costs.
Aside from material costs, frontline workers supporting women involved have also highlighted that, while selling sex can offer a short-term way to get quick cash to cope with immediate financial struggles, the impacts can outweigh the financial gains. Workers interviewed by SERP said: “while the sex trade may provide a woman with money, it can take many things away from her at the same time – such as her physical and mental health, her relationships with family and friends and sometimes even how she values herself.”
Money and poverty as drivers into selling sex
In the aftermath of the pandemic and with the current Cost of Living crisis, there has been a significant increase in the number of women who are considering or have started selling sex in order to afford bills and other essentials.
But poverty, debt and lack of opportunities were already present for women long before these latest crises, and these financial pressures have been shown to be some of the key drivers into the ‘sex industry.’ The latest Encompass Snapshot, for example, found that 90% of the 101 women supported by specialist services have been affected by rising prices, but many of them were already struggling before this crisis. Let’s look at some of the financial issues women have talked about when discussing why they started selling sex.
Poverty and lack of opportunities
The gendered nature of poverty means that women struggle more to earn money and keep savings compared to men because of unequal access to financial resources. For instance, women are still more likely to be underemployed or in precarious work. The Scottish Women’s Budget Group has reported that women continue to represent the majority of people in part-time work and since 2011 women in zero hour contracts increased by 320%.
On the other hand, Close the Gap found that women working part-time earn 26.9% less than men working full-time. Women are also twice as dependant on social security than men and represent 80% of those without paid employment due to caring responsibilities. Not only that, but research has found that once women have children, they are more likely to have little or no savings.
It is in this economic landscape that some women decide to start selling sex. Katie, for example, tells how selling sex became the only option to provide for her child:
“I had no money so someone I knew took me to a place where I could make money and it kinda started from there. I needed money to give to my mum for my wee one and prostitution was the easiest option."
Other women have highlighted how, not only caring for children or disabled family members, but the inaccessibility of employment due to being disabled themselves lead to entering the ‘sex industry.’ A woman who participated in CLiCK magazine said:
“… I work as an escort, to be able to give my children the basics (food, clothes, warmth, safety). Benefits don't stretch. I do it because I'm poor. I can't live off of benefits. I also have a chronic illness which effects me going for a proper job. Even then the minimum wage doesn't even cover living costs.”
Benefits and lack of a robust safety net
Women have shared how the UK’s benefits system is insufficient to offer a stable standard of living and inefficiencies around the application and payment process can leave women in desperate situations. In 2019, a House of Commons enquiry looked specifically at how the 8-week delay in Universal Credit payments led some women to start selling sex. Julie, a woman interviewed for the report, said:
Women have shared how the UK’s benefits system is insufficient to offer a stable standard of living and inefficiencies around the application and payment process can leave women in desperate situations. In 2019, a House of Commons enquiry looked specifically at how the 8-week delay in Universal Credit payments led some women to start selling sex. Julie, a woman interviewed for the report, said:
“I didn’t go out looking for it [selling sex], I said no at first. It wasn’t until about three weeks later that I said ‘OK, yeah,’ because I thought I need to, because I need money … It was during the eight weeks that I was waiting to get the Universal Credit. I couldn’t wait eight weeks for money. I just couldn’t.”
Like Julie, other women also expressed feelings of shame and worry after becoming involved for the first time. For example, some women fear losing their children to social services; others were already facing issues to their safety and threats from clients or partners.
The financial burden for migrant women
Migrant women can face additional financial burdens related to their immigration status. Women coming to the UK under certain immigration programmes, like those with a partner, worker or student visa, or those seeking asylum will often be subject to the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) clause. This means they cannot access benefits and other important safety nets, and in the vast majority of cases are not allowed to work.
NRPF has been shown to push migrants, particularly women into destitution. In a briefing, the Refugee Council said that women with NRPF are more likely to enter activities like begging, find themselves in exploitative or abusive relationships or resort to selling sex to survive.
A report by SERP found that some women started selling sex to afford access to higher education, courses or trainings in order to move on from the ‘sex industry’. At the same time, some migrant women involved are expected or might choose to send money to their countries to support parents, children, other family members or to pay off debts. Elena, a Brazilian woman interviewed by SERP, explained:
The financial burden for migrant women
Migrant women can face additional financial burdens related to their immigration status. Women coming to the UK under certain immigration programmes, like those with a partner, worker or student visa, or those seeking asylum will often be subject to the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) clause. This means they cannot access benefits and other important safety nets, and in the vast majority of cases are not allowed to work.
NRPF has been shown to push migrants, particularly women into destitution. In a briefing, the Refugee Council said that women with NRPF are more likely to enter activities like begging, find themselves in exploitative or abusive relationships or resort to selling sex to survive.
A report by SERP found that some women started selling sex to afford access to higher education, courses or trainings in order to move on from the ‘sex industry’. At the same time, some migrant women involved are expected or might choose to send money to their countries to support parents, children, other family members or to pay off debts. Elena, a Brazilian woman interviewed by SERP, explained:
“That’s the reason I started [selling sex], you know. Because I don’t want to. Really, I don’t want to. It’s much better men don’t touch you and don’t do nothing…Of course I can choose. I can choose like working someplace like a store. But I help my family in Brazil. I send money. My father-in-law have cancer. So, I need to support my family. And many people depend about me. How I can leave this [prostitution].”
Financial pressures while selling sex
Women who are currently involved in the ‘sex industry’ have highlighted how money issues remain unresolved or appear whilst involved. In this section we look at some of these and their impact on women’s decision to continue selling sex as well as their level of involvement.
Debt, loans and loan sharks
Women might have started selling sex to repay debt, which can be their own debt or that of people around them such as partners, parents, children, pimps, among others. Women may have to accrue debt to pay for essentials, something which was clear during the pandemic. For example, women supported through CLiCK said they had to use up their savings, increase credit card limits, borrow from friends and family and approach loan companies as they could not access government schemes like furlough.
Women might also be ineligible for loans from mainstream banks and loan companies, which can lead them to borrow from loan sharks and organised crime, involving huge risks to their safety. Research by the Centre for Social Justice reported that 10% of loan sharks demanded ‘payment’ in the form of sexual favours or asked women to agree to provide sexual favours if they defaulted on repayments.
Spending money to cope
Anecdotally, women supported by Encompass Services have shared that they often spend most or all of the money earned from clients as a way to cope with the effects of their involvement. Wendy, for example, described how after her first time seeing clients, she and her friend Olivia immediately spent the money:
Women who are currently involved in the ‘sex industry’ have highlighted how money issues remain unresolved or appear whilst involved. In this section we look at some of these and their impact on women’s decision to continue selling sex as well as their level of involvement.
Debt, loans and loan sharks
Women might have started selling sex to repay debt, which can be their own debt or that of people around them such as partners, parents, children, pimps, among others. Women may have to accrue debt to pay for essentials, something which was clear during the pandemic. For example, women supported through CLiCK said they had to use up their savings, increase credit card limits, borrow from friends and family and approach loan companies as they could not access government schemes like furlough.
Women might also be ineligible for loans from mainstream banks and loan companies, which can lead them to borrow from loan sharks and organised crime, involving huge risks to their safety. Research by the Centre for Social Justice reported that 10% of loan sharks demanded ‘payment’ in the form of sexual favours or asked women to agree to provide sexual favours if they defaulted on repayments.
Spending money to cope
Anecdotally, women supported by Encompass Services have shared that they often spend most or all of the money earned from clients as a way to cope with the effects of their involvement. Wendy, for example, described how after her first time seeing clients, she and her friend Olivia immediately spent the money:
“I made three hundred pound on my first night. Which is a phenomenal amount of money. I went home to Olivia. She was amazed by it, couldn't believe it, thought it was absolutely brilliant. Happy enough to spend it, didn't want to go out and earn it though. Needless to say the three hundred pound was done within 2 nights.”
Women have described using the money to ‘treat’ themselves, to forget about what they needed to do in order to get money, or having an expensive lifestyle to avoid thinking of their involvement in selling sex. In Outside Barbie spoke of how saving was uncommon for her and other women involved:
“I never put money away. No, I spent it all. I don't know any women who actually saved. We should have of course … but most of us just used to spend it on having a good time and going out, eating out in nice places, going to restaurants, going to spa days, going on holidays, shopping and living the high life ... You see – that's what makes it worthwhile at the time – it makes what you have to do so much easier.”
In addition to spending money on themselves, women have also described spending it on gifts for people in their lives, such as family, partners, friends and children.
Financial exploitation
Women’s involvement can also be for the benefit of others, which can mean the money is never for them. A small scoping of women’s aid and rape crisis centres in Scotland found that abusive partners often force women to sell sex as part of the cycle of abuse. Likewise, some pimps and controllers can force women to hand most or all of their earnings and manage and control how much money the women get.
This economic abuse can involve coercion, emotional and physical abuse and it can mean women find themselves in more desperate financial situations which in turn can lead to accepting riskier clients and overall further vulnerability.
Challenges with budgeting
There is a variety of reasons why women may struggle to keep some money on the side for savings or ensure it lasts longer. As we’ve seen above, this can include debt payments, large spending as soon as they get cash from clients, using money for essentials, as well as paying for the costs involved with selling sex. Sometimes, a large part of their money may go towards their children and other dependents.
Barbie mentioned her own and other’s experiences of keeping on top of their finances and the importance of getting support to gain financial skills around budgeting:
Financial exploitation
Women’s involvement can also be for the benefit of others, which can mean the money is never for them. A small scoping of women’s aid and rape crisis centres in Scotland found that abusive partners often force women to sell sex as part of the cycle of abuse. Likewise, some pimps and controllers can force women to hand most or all of their earnings and manage and control how much money the women get.
This economic abuse can involve coercion, emotional and physical abuse and it can mean women find themselves in more desperate financial situations which in turn can lead to accepting riskier clients and overall further vulnerability.
Challenges with budgeting
There is a variety of reasons why women may struggle to keep some money on the side for savings or ensure it lasts longer. As we’ve seen above, this can include debt payments, large spending as soon as they get cash from clients, using money for essentials, as well as paying for the costs involved with selling sex. Sometimes, a large part of their money may go towards their children and other dependents.
Barbie mentioned her own and other’s experiences of keeping on top of their finances and the importance of getting support to gain financial skills around budgeting:
“If somebody's been living that kind of lifestyle where they've earned all this money and it's so easy to come by, they actually need some support to get their finances back intact … While [women who sell sex] are very good business people and they've learnt a lot of business skills, they don't always have good financial skills and they maybe need a bit of help to get back on top of finances and they need that specialist support and help.”
Money as a barrier to exiting
One of the key issues for women who are considering reducing their amount of involvement in selling sex or stopping altogether is money. The financial barriers and issues that women faced when they started selling sex, are often still there when they consider stopping. This can put huge pressure while they are deciding how best to move on and it might leave women with no choice but to remain involved.
Trauma, problematic substance use, stigma and the fear of being outed or ending up in a workplace with past pimps or clients can add to the difficulties they face when looking at alternatives. As we have seen here, some women may not be able to avail from the government’s welfare system, leaving them with very few choices.
Barbie tells why the prospect of poverty could make women reluctant to exit:
One of the key issues for women who are considering reducing their amount of involvement in selling sex or stopping altogether is money. The financial barriers and issues that women faced when they started selling sex, are often still there when they consider stopping. This can put huge pressure while they are deciding how best to move on and it might leave women with no choice but to remain involved.
Trauma, problematic substance use, stigma and the fear of being outed or ending up in a workplace with past pimps or clients can add to the difficulties they face when looking at alternatives. As we have seen here, some women may not be able to avail from the government’s welfare system, leaving them with very few choices.
Barbie tells why the prospect of poverty could make women reluctant to exit:
“… once I stopped – I didn't have money to pay for myself. That's what exiting sex work meant, that's what happens when you get out, you end up on your knees, with no money, homeless. Do you know what I mean? It's not pleasant. When other women see or hear that you became homeless and penniless – of course they are going to stay in the industry and be petrified to leave with nothing to look forward to except a life of poverty.”
For some women, the hurdles to find other opportunities and the need of money can mean they leave and return to the ‘sex industry’ several times during their lives.
In recent years, with the cost of living crisis, peer-led and specialist organisations have talked about a surge in women who left the industry for decades, only to return due to rising costs. The above goes to show that women’s financial stability is fragile, and even when they have found and engaged in options for years, poverty and money issues can still pull them back into selling sex at any point in their lives.
Read our practice points to find practical steps you can take to respond to women’s money and poverty needs, and check our Money and Poverty resources for further information on this issue and links to advice and support available to women.
In recent years, with the cost of living crisis, peer-led and specialist organisations have talked about a surge in women who left the industry for decades, only to return due to rising costs. The above goes to show that women’s financial stability is fragile, and even when they have found and engaged in options for years, poverty and money issues can still pull them back into selling sex at any point in their lives.
Read our practice points to find practical steps you can take to respond to women’s money and poverty needs, and check our Money and Poverty resources for further information on this issue and links to advice and support available to women.