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Introduction

Sex work is "the exchange of sexual services, performances, or products for material compensation. It includes activities of direct physical contact between buyers and sellers as well as indirect sexual stimulation". Sex work only refers to voluntary sexual transactions; thus, the term does not refer to human trafficking and other coerced or nonconsensual sexual transactions such as child prostitution. The transaction must take place between consenting adults of the legal age and mental capacity to consent and must take place without any methods of coercion, other than payment. The term emphasizes the labor and economic implications of this type of work. Furthermore, some prefer the use of the term because it grants more agency to the sellers of these services. (Full article...)

Selected article - show another

Prostitution, as defined under modern Japanese law, is the illegal practice of sexual intercourse with an 'unspecified' (unacquainted) person in exchange for monetary compensation, which was criminalised in 1956 by the introduction of article 3 of the Anti-Prostitution Law (売春防止法, Baishun bōshi hō). However, the definition of prostitution made illegal under this law is strictly limited to sexual intercourse with an 'unspecified person', and does not criminalise the sale of numerous other acts performed by sex workers in exchange for compensation, such as oral sex, anal sex, mammary intercourse, and other non-coital sex acts; the Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Law of 1948 (風俗営業取締法, Fūzoku eigyō torishimari hō), also known as the "Law to Regulate Adult Entertainment Businesses", amended in 1985, 1999 and 2005, regulates these businesses, making only one definition of prostitution in Japan illegal.

Following the criminalisation of payment for sexual intercourse, the sex industry in Japan has developed into a number of varied businesses and offering services not prohibited under Japanese law. These fall into a number of categories known by various euphemistic names, such as soaplands, fashion health shops, and pink salons, with the term "health" commonly being a euphemism for sexual services. These businesses typically operate out of physical premises, either with their own employees or freelancers such as call girls, who may operate via Internet dating sites known as deai sites (Internet dating sites) or via delivery health services. (Full article...)

List of selected articles
Stripper Prostitution Procuring (prostitution) Courtesan Pornographic film actor Sex worker Sex workers' rights Strip club Prostitution in Nevada Windmill Theatre Brothel Webcam model Street prostitution Escort agency Phone sex Decriminalizing sex work Prostitution in Canada Prostitution in Germany Prostitution in Thailand Sex industry Prostitution in Australia Sex show Sanky-panky Male prostitution Gigolo Red-light district Prostitution in Mumbai

List of selected articles

Selected images

Image 1Women in an early San Francisco bordello in 1870 (from Prostitution)
Image 2A detail from plate 1 of William Hogarth's (1697–1764) The Harlot's Progress, showing brothel-keeper Elizabeth Needham, on the right, procuring a young woman who has just arrived in London (from Prostitution)
Image 3Brothel scene; Brunswick Monogrammist, 1537; Gemäldegalerie, Berlin (from Prostitution)
Image 4A liberated Chinese girl who had been forced in to sexual slavery by the Japanese military sits on a stretcher and speaks to a British military serviceman. (from Prostitution)
Image 5
  Legalization – prostitution legal and regulated
  Decriminalization – No criminal penalties for prostitution
  Abolitionism – prostitution is legal, but organized activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal; prostitution is not regulated
  Neo-abolitionism – illegal to buy sex and for 3rd party involvement, legal to sell sex
  Prohibitionism – prostitution illegal
  Legality varies with local laws
(from Prostitution)
Image 6A prostitute and her customer illustrated on an ancient Greek wine cup; the act of prostitution is indicated by the coin purse above the figures. (from Prostitution)
Image 7Prostitution Information Centre in Amsterdam (from Prostitution)
Image 8Fresco from the Pompeii brothel (from Prostitution)
Image 9A prostitute in Amsterdam's red-light district talks with a potential customer. (from Prostitution)
Image 10Prostitutes on display in Yoshiwara during the Meiji Period, Japan (from Prostitution)
Image 11The Procuress by Dirck van Baburen (1622) (from Prostitution)
Image 12Stickers affixed to a payphone in São Paulo, 2006 (from Prostitution)
Image 13Prostitute c. 1890 (from Prostitution)
Image 14A street prostitute talking to a potential customer in Turin, Italy, 2005 (from Prostitution)
Image 15An Ancient Greek urn depicts a prostitute and her client. (from Sex work)
Image 16News report about three brothels operating in Albuquerque, New Mexico that were raided by police in 1922 (from Prostitution)
Image 17Kisaeng women from outcast or slave families. (from Prostitution)
Image 18World map of prostitution laws
  Decriminalization – No criminal penalties for prostitution
  Legalization (regulation) – Prostitution legal and regulated
  Abolitionism – Prostitution is legal, but organized activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal; prostitution is not regulated
  Neo-abolitionism (Nordic model) – Illegal to buy sex and for 3rd party involvement, legal to sell sex
  Prohibitionism – Prostitution illegal in all aspects (selling and buying)
  Legality varies with local laws
(from Sex work)
Image 19De Wallen red-light district in Amsterdam (from Prostitution)
Image 20A sex worker in Berlin in 2001 (from Sex work)
Image 21Statue to honor the sex workers of the world. Installed March 2007 in Amsterdam, Oudekerksplein, in front of the Oude Kerk, in Amsterdam's red-light district De Wallen. Titled Belle, the inscription to the piece says "Respect sex workers all over the world." (from Prostitution)
Image 22A political cartoon from 1787 jesting about the notion of taxation affecting prostitutes (from Prostitution)
Image 23The Red Light district in Amsterdam (from Sex work)
Image 24World map of pornography (18+) laws
  Pornography legal
  Pornography legal under some restrictions
  Pornography illegal
  Data unavailable
(from Sex work)
Image 25An oiran preparing herself for a client, ukiyo-e print by Suzuki Haronubu (1765) (from Prostitution)
Image 26Tart cards in a British phone box advertising the services of call girls (from Prostitution)
Image 27Sex workers demonstrating for better working conditions at the 2009 Marcha Gay in Mexico City (from Sex work)

Related portals

Selected general sex worker

Image 1

Mana Sakura, in October 2017
Mana Sakura (Japanese: 紗倉まな, Hepburn: Sakura Mana, born March 23, 1993) is a Japanese AV idol, gravure model, novelist and singer. Originally debuting as a model, she transitioned to AV in 2012, becoming an exclusive performer for Soft On Demand and starred over 150 adult films since her debut. Sakura is considered one of the most popular and recognizable contemporary AV idols as she managed to crossover into mainstream entertainment with regular appearances in television, films and even video games as well. She also became an accomplished author, publishing several novels, magazine essays and running columns. (Full article...)
Image 2
Louis Waldon (December 16, 1934 – December 6, 2013) was an American film actor, whose career spanned nearly 45 years. He was born in Modesto, California. (Full article...)
Image 3

Evan Seinfeld is an American musician and actor, as well as a director, photographer, writer, and former pornographic actor. He is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and founding member of the hardcore/metal band Biohazard. Seinfeld left the band in May 2011 citing personal reasons, but rejoined in October 2022 after performing with several other acts. He is the founder and CEO of subscription service IsMyGirl. (Full article...)
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Jana Bach (born 10 April 1979) is a German pornographic actress, model, and television host. (Full article...)
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Asami Jō (城麻美, Jō Asami, born September 15, 1975), also spelled Asami Joh, is a Japanese actress and former AV Idol from Tokyo. Fans of tokusatsu TV shows also know her as the villain Shibolena in the Super Sentai series Denji Sentai Megaranger. (Full article...)
Image 6

Aiden Brady in 2013

Aiden Shaw (born Aiden Brady, 22 February 1966) is an English author, model, and former pornographic film actor. (Full article...)
Image 7
Lukas Ridgeston (born 5 April 1974) is a Slovak actor and director in gay erotic movies and model in Bel Ami gay erotic magazines and books. He was born in Bratislava, then part of the former Czechoslovakia, now capital of Slovakia. Lukas Ridgeston is best known as "The King of Gay Porn" or just "The King". (Full article...)
Image 8

Brown at the AVN Awards on January 19, 2013

CoCo Brown is an American rapper, DJ and former pornographic actress. (Full article...)
Image 9

Jeannie Pepper in 2000

Jeannie Pepper (born July 9, 1958) is an American pornographic actress. She began in the business in 1982 at age 24 and has appeared in over 200 adult films. She was still an active actress as recently as 2011, participating in the mature adult genre.

Pepper was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 1997, the first African American woman to be recognized with that honor. She won XRCO Award Erotic Video Award in 1987 and was inducted into the XRCO Hall of Fame in 2008. (Full article...)
Image 10

Ketcham at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in 2008

Jennifer "Jennie" Ketcham is an American writer, reality television personality, blogger, and artist. Before 2009, she worked as a pornographic film actress and director under the name Penny Flame. She later appeared on a number of television talk shows to discuss sex addiction, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Tyra Banks Show, The View, Entertainment Tonight, Extra and Lifechangers. (Full article...)
Image 11

Sampson posing on the movie box of "my first sex teacher"

Holly Joy Sampson (born September 4, 1973), also known as Nicolette Foster, Andrea Michaels or Zoe, is an American actress and model who has appeared in both mainstream and pornographic films over the course of her career. She is noted for her appearances on several television shows and her appearance in the 1990 comedy-drama feature film Pump Up The Volume. She is also known for playing the title role in the Emmanuelle 2000 series of films. (Full article...)
Image 12

Shayla LaVeaux at the 2011 AVN Awards show

Shayla LaVeaux (born December 27, 1969) is an American pornographic actress and exotic dancer. (Full article...)
Image 13

Maylene attending the website launch party of Lexxi Tyler at "The Kress" in Hollywood, May 2009

Michelle Maylene (born January 20, 1987) is an actress, adult model, and former adult film star. (Full article...)
Image 14
Rebecca Brooke (born Mary Mendum, February 21, 1952 — July 17, 2012) was an American former pornographic film actress and model who specialized in sexploitation films, including both hardcore and softcore pornography in the 1970s. Vern L. Bullough wrote that Brooke was "one of the true beauties to grace the porn screen." (Full article...)
Image 15

Jameson at the XBIZ Awards 2014

Jenna Marie Massoli (born April 9, 1974), known professionally as Jenna Jameson (/ˈdʒeɪməsən/), is an American former pornographic film actress, businesswoman, writer and television personality. She has been named the world's most famous adult entertainment performer and "The Queen of Porn".

She started acting in erotic videos in 1993 after having worked as a stripper and glamour model. By 1996, she had won the "Top Newcomer" award from each of the three major adult movie organizations. She has since won more than 35 adult-video awards, and has been inducted into the X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO) and Adult Video News (AVN) Halls of Fame. (Full article...)
Image 16
Mike John is the pseudonym of an American pornographic movie producer, director, and actor. (Full article...)
Image 17

Lee in January 2016

Adam Diksa (born 15 January 1984), better known by his stage name Keiran Lee, is an English pornographic actor, director, and producer who works mainly for Brazzers. He is one of the highest-paid pornographic actors. He has received several awards, including an AVN Award for Favourite Male Performer and a UK Adult Film and Television Award for Best Male Actor. (Full article...)
Image 18
Michael Schey (born 29 August 1945 – found dead 30 April 2011), known professionally as Harry S. Morgan, was a German director and producer of pornographic movies. He is known for directing classic-style movies. (Full article...)
Image 19

Amber Lynn at the 50th anniversary screening of "Deep Throat".

Amber Lynn (born Laura Lynn Allen; September 3, 1964) is an American pornographic film actress and mainstream actress, radio host, model, exotic dancer, advocate and humanitarian. (Full article...)
Image 20
Terri Hall (January 25, 1953 – June 5, 2007) was an American erotic actress in adult films from 1974 to 1984, during the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984). Notable films include: Alice In Wonderland (1976), The Opening of Misty Beethoven (1975), The Story of Joanna (1975), Through the Looking Glass (1976) and The World of Henry Paris (1981). Hall worked with several notable adult film directors, including Gerard Damiano, Radley Metzger (aka "Henry Paris") and Bill Osco. She was a former ballet dancer and, as well, served as a model for photographers, such as Robert Mapplethorpe, and artists, such as Sir Alex Schloss and Gloria Schloss. Hall was featured in several US magazines, including Playboy and Sir!. Her work as a model has been displayed at the Whitney Museum of American Art. (Full article...)
Image 21

Tai in Las Vegas, January 2000

Kobe Tai is an American pornographic actress. (Full article...)
Image 22
Holly One (born Oliviero Migliore; April 12, 1965 – September 8, 2006) was an Italian porn star who was foremost known for his short stature (around 120 centimetres (3.9 ft)).

He settled in Spain in the 1980s and started to perform in shows at night clubs in Ibiza in the 1990s. He was discovered by Juani de Lucía, the owner of the Barcelona night club Bagdad, and became a protagonist of erotic spectacles staged at the place. He made his hardcore debut in the movie Pequeño pero Matón in 1997. Until his death, he performed in numerous porn films along with famous actors Rocco Siffredi and Nacho Vidal in scenes with Katsumi (Who Fucked Rocco?), Kelly Stafford (Rocco e Kelly indecenti a Barcelona), and other distinguished (mostly Spanish-based) porn actresses of the period. (Full article...)
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Bradford Thomas Wagner (March 31, 1968 – July 13, 2005) was an American real estate agent and former pornographic film actor who committed suicide while in police custody as a suspected serial rapist. (Full article...)
Image 24
Mariko Kawana (Japanese: 川奈まり子, Hepburn: Kawana Mariko) (born November 9, 1967) began the most notable phase of her life as a Japanese model and actress who has appeared in softcore pink film and V-Cinema, and who has also been a hardcore adult video (AV) performer and director. She was one of the earliest AV actresses in the "mature woman" or "madame" (jukujo) category of performers. She is now retired as an actress and has returned to her pre-acting career as a writer. (Full article...)
Image 25

Seymore Butts, January 2007

Adam Glasser (born March 18, 1964), known professionally as Seymore Butts, is an American pornographic film director, producer, and occasional performer who has produced hundreds of films in the gonzo genre of pornography (faux reality-based adult material). (Full article...)

Did you know...

... that Lea Ackermann, a German nun of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, fought against forced prostitution and sex tourism in East Africa?
... that Sadhana Mahila Sangha protected Bangalore sex workers from the police and from HIV, but they now help feed them during the pandemic?
... that a Harvey's franchise known for being a hub for sex work was described by one artist as a "legendary Toronto icon"?