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A new study from the Revista de Derecho Penal y Criminología, reveals that more than 90% of women engaged in paid sex do so as a matter of survival, not choice. The findings, based on interviews with 76 women (cisgender and transgender), shine a harsh light on the socio-economic and identity-based struggles driving the sex work industry.
A staggering 94% of interviewees reported that sex work is their only viable option to survive financially; they don’t see it as a permanent career choice. Nearly 90% have tried to quit, but the lack of stable job opportunities and reliable income holds them trapped in the cycle. Most believe that legalization and regulation rather than prohibition would offer much-needed protection, autonomy, and social legitimacy.
Trans Women’s Reality: Youth, Identity & Health Risks
The experiences of transgender women differed markedly. They often entered sex work as adolescents; 61% began when they were still minors, compared to just 20% of cisgender women. For many trans women, sex work isn’t just a financial necessity; it’s also a place to affirm gender identity and experience agency, especially amid employment discrimination.
The health toll is also disproportionate. Trans women report higher rates of health problems compared to cis women, who already face serious physical and mental health risks inherent in the profession. Violence, chronic illness, and emotional distress are common themes across both groups.
Voices for Regulation & Rights
Half of the participants advocated for legal regulation of sex work, citing reasons like improved safety, financial agency, and reduced stigma. Only 17% supported banning the practice outright. Professors behind the study, including Tamarit Sumalla, argue that regulation could help women exit dangerous environments while preserving their rights, rather than driving them underground.
This study is just the opening chapter. Researchers plan to extend the study to men who pay for sex, examine legal case outcomes linked to coercive sex work, and explore how criminal law can either protect or punish sex workers. Their ongoing aim: inform evidence-based, stigma-free policy reforms grounded in lived experience.
What It Means for Transfolks & Allies
This isn’t abstract data; it’s a snapshot of real lives. For trans women, especially those who started sex work as minors, it underscores the systemic vulnerability driven by identity-based exclusion. Healthcare and harm-reduction advocates should prioritize trans voices in crafting better safety nets.
Regulated sex work could provide:
- Stronger legal protection: abuse and exploitation become prosecutable offenses
- Medical access without fear: enabling safer health outreach
- Reduced stigma: shifting societal perspectives beyond “vice” to labor
In the meantime… until true legal reform, frontline services remain lifelines. Peer-support organizations, trans-led health initiatives, and harm-reduction programs are essential and urgently needed.
The Bottom Line
Sex work is overwhelmingly a survival strategy, not a lifestyle choice. For trans women, it often begins even earlier, driven by identity affirmation and marginalization. The consensus among those interviewed? Regulate, don’t eradicate sex work, and center trans-led, evidence-based approaches in policy reform.
