Impact of COVID-19 on Sex Workers' Health and Rights
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has both exposed and deepened longstanding inequities faced by sex workers worldwide. Public health measures such as lockdowns and physical-distancing orders disrupted livelihoods, eroded access to health and social services, and magnified experiences of stigma, discrimination and criminalisation. Loss of income and exclusion from emergency relief programmes precipitated heightened food and housing insecurity, while mobility restrictions limited access to essential sexual and reproductive healthcare, including HIV prevention and treatment. Concomitantly, physical distancing and curfews increased vulnerability to violence and exploitation, as many were forced to accept riskier working conditions or to retreat into more clandestine settings. Mental health deteriorated under the weight of isolation, economic precarity and fears of arrest or police abuse. Rights-based responses have underscored the need for decriminalisation, community-led interventions and inclusion of sex workers in policy-making to safeguard health, prevent human rights violations and foster resilience against future crises.
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Impact of COVID-19 on Sex Workers' Health and Rights publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in impact of covid-19 on sex workers' health and rights across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Decriminalisation: Removal of criminal penalties and legal prohibitions against consensual sex work, intended to enhance safety, reduce stigma and enable access to health and social services.
Income support: Government-provided financial assistance programmes designed to replace or supplement lost earnings during economic disruptions such as pandemic-related lockdowns.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): A biomedical HIV prevention strategy involving daily or on-demand antiretroviral medication to substantially reduce the risk of HIV acquisition among people at elevated risk.
References
- Receipt of COVID-19 emergency funds and engagement in sex work during COVID-19 among people who use drugs: evidence from Vancouver, Canada. Harm Reduction Journal (2024).
- Experiences of Sex Workers in Chicago during COVID-19: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023).
- The Impact of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on the Health and Social Needs of Sex Workers in Singapore. Archives of Sexual Behavior (2021).
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