Women’s Reasons For Choosing Careers In Sex Work

Many have claimed that sex work is the oldest profession in the world (Ditmore, 2011, as cited in Bloomberg et al., 2025); however, it remains a highly controversial and stigmatized career choice. Some people believe that sex work is always a product of coercion, or something that is only ever pursued as a last resort. Indeed, even many researchers and clinicians approach sex work from a problem-based lens, assuming that the factors that lead people to this profession are necessarily tied to hardship, trauma, mental health issues, addiction, or poverty.

However, as we have discussed previously on the blog, there are a number of reasons why people may choose to be sex workers, and not all of them stem from problems. In this post, we’re diving into a new qualitative study that looks women’s reasons for entering the world of sex work.

Reasons Why Women Choose Sex Work

In a recent study published in the Journal of Sex Research, 17 sex workers in Las Vegas were interviewed in depth about their reasons for choosing sex work as a career (Bloomberg et al., 2025). Unlike other studies in this area, the researchers leading this effort adopted a neutral stance and asked generally why individuals chose this career, without presuming coercion or problem-based motivations. Through interviews with various types of sex workers (e.g., domination, porn, stripping, OnlyFans), the study identified several reasons why women chose sex work:

Empowerment

Many of the women described their work as empowering. For instance, some women felt that their line of work facilitated greater self-acceptance or learning new skills, which later led to more work opportunities (e.g., building a business).

Freedom

Another major factor that influenced their decision to pursue a career in sex work was that it allowed for greater freedom in terms of their time and financial security. For instance, they could prioritize family matters and adjust their hours to meet their personal needs.

Opportunity

Sex work also afforded the women many opportunities that many traditional careers might not be able to provide (e.g., traveling, meeting new people, enjoying luxuries). Several participants mentioned that they even met their current spouse through their work.

Work Environment

The women in this study also described the work environment as an important factor. Specifically, they felt that they had more agency in this type of work, including the ability to say “no” without having to offer justification. They also described having deep and meaningful connections with their clients as another positive feature of the work environment.

Personality Qualities

Another common theme described by the workers was that they believed a certain set of personality traits was essential to excel in this career. They described mental strength, boundary-setting, and creativity as being important for those who are interested in the profession. There was also a common element of being “anti-vanilla,” which meant they generally rejected cultural norms and expectations around sex.

Career Outcomes

Many of the women described that they were passionate about their careers, sometimes describing it as something they were innately drawn to. They mentioned their satisfaction with and commitment to this line of work as being what keeps them going.

Definition of Sex Work

The researchers also found that participants generally rejected a broad, undifferentiated definition of sex work and instead advocated for one that reflects the diversity of roles and the skills involved. They acknowledged that, while many enter the field of sex work voluntarily, there are instances where coercion occurs. They emphasized the importance of distinguishing between these experiences to better advocate for appropriate protections for sex workers. They also argued that different types of sex work are quite distinct and require different skills and considerations, so it may make sense to separate them and examine each individually, rather than lumping them all together.

Overall, better understanding the diverse motivations that lead women into sex work may be key to reducing stigma and informing more equitable legal and policy frameworks. As the authors of this study note: “Many participants of this study dreamed of a future in which they can rent property, run businesses, and pay taxes like anyone else” (p. 9).

Interested in Learning More?

Check out our related podcast episodes:

What It’s Like To Be A Sex Worker

OnlyFans and the Rise of Digital Sex Work

And our related blog posts:

The 4 Legal Approaches to Sex Work

I Played OnlyBans, An Interactive Game About Online Sex Work. Here’s What I Learned

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References:

Bloomberg, A. J., Eddy, B. P., & Jordan, S. (2025). It’s a complicated issue: A qualitative study investigating the decision to enter sex work in the United States and the meaning behind it. The Journal of Sex Research, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2535030

Ditmore, M. H. (2011). Prostitution and sex work. Greenwood. https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216002208

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