Health policies for sex workers: Health, safety, and the sex industry

ABSTRACT

This theoretical essay examines sex work and its intersections with occupational health policies, framed by the thematic axes of the 5th National Conference on Workers’ Health. It aims to discuss how contemporary sex work impacts the health-disease process and healthcare access for sex workers, while analyzing how sexual market dynamics generate political, social, and health demands for these individuals. The study advocates for addressing sex work through an expanded perspective that incorporates labor relations of production and social markers of difference, arguing for its cross-cutting integration into health policies as a strategy to legitimize sex work while ensuring rights and citizenship.

KEYWORDS
Sex workers; Occupational health; Sexual and gender minorities