5 big lies about the sex work industry

The sex work industry is one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized sectors, where you can hear a lot of misconceptions. Some of them come from the media and movies, while some of them just exist because of a lack of real knowledge about this job.

In this article, we collected the 5 biggest lies about the sex work industry and you can immediately learn about the truth behind the stereotypes or false information.

Overview:

Lie #1: It is an easy job and everyone can work as a sex worker

One of the strongest and most dumb myths about sex work is that it is an easy job, which can be done by everyone. Because everyone has a body and starting to sell it needs nothing, just putting an online advertisement or applying to the first brothel on the street.

The truth is that sex work, like any other profession, requires a unique set of skills and attributes. Emotional intelligence, continuous learning, and knowing the customers’ needs are essential. The physical demands can also be significant, requiring a level of fitness, a lot of self-care, and toleration of working in the evenings or often at nights.

Additionally, sex workers must navigate a complex landscape of legality and safety concerns. In many places, sex work is either illegal or exists in a legal gray area, which can expose workers to legal risks and exploitation.

In Austria and Vienna, sex work is legal, but the women have to follow a lot of rules in order to work legally. These include obtaining a police license, regular health checks, paying the taxes and health contributions after the income, and many more.

The myth that this is an easy job and anyone can do it ignores these realities and undermines the skills and personal efforts of legally working sex workers.


We’ve collected the most important traits that sex workers in a premium brothel must have. Click on the button to read the article:

Lie #2: Sex workers have terrible lives and are waiting for a man to rescue them

Another bad stereotype is that sex workers have terrible lives and they are waiting for a man, who will rescue them. Most likely, this misconception is based on Hollywood movies, where rich older men fall in love with younger prostitutes, and they rescue them from poverty and/or drug usage, so the women can live the everyday life of Americans. This can be seen in the 1990s blockbuster “Pretty Woman,” where Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), a wealthy businessman, saved Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts), a prostitute from Hollywood.

like in the Pretty Woman blockbuster

In reality, sex workers don’t want to be rescued, because they are just doing their everyday job. Legally working girls are not forced into anything, and to be honest, in the best sex clubs in Vienna, they provide their own services, which are convenient to them. The management never forces the girls to do anything, because they might lose their license to run the brothel and face legal consequences. Guests are also not allowed to force the girls, because all of the best places are pre-filtering their guests by security guards and the rooms are equipped with alarm systems to help the girls in trouble.

Sex workers have diverse experiences and motivations. Many choose sex work because it offers better pay and more flexible hours compared to other available jobs. For some, it is a strategic choice to achieve financial goals, support their families, or pay for their higher education.

Some girls are highly satisfied because of the job, appreciating the autonomy and control they have over their bodies and schedules. While it is true that a lot of sex workers face exploitation and forced prostitution, it is not the case in the legal brothels in Vienna.

You should also know that continuously trying to “save” a sex worker from this profession is one of the biggest don’ts in this industry, and if you are doing this as a customer, you will be kicked and banned out from the brothel very soon.

There are a lot of don’ts in the sex industry. We’ve collected the 5 most important ones about what not to do if you are a customer:

Lie #3: STDs are spreading in the community because of sex workers

The stigmatization of sex workers as vectors of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is both inaccurate and harmful. Legally working sex workers in Austria must undergo regular health checks to be healthy and to avoid the spread of STDs. When a man has occasional sex with a woman after a party in the discotheque or after a quick rendezvous on Tinder, they have the same chance to get infected with a sexually transmitted disease, as when meeting with a professional sex worker.

People can avoid most of the STDs by using a condom during sex, and it is equal if we are talking about paid sex with a sex worker, or occasional sex with a girl from the disco. In both cases, there is a risk of infection in the case of unprotected intercourse, so blaming sex workers exclusively because of the diseases is nonsense.


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It is true that some sex workers offer AO sex (sex without a condom), but as a paid sex customer, you can avoid such scenarios by choosing only from the best high-class brothels and escort agencies. At these places, AO sex is forbidden and you can be safe with any of the high-class ladies.

The spread of STDs is a public health issue that requires comprehensive education, accessible healthcare, and widespread testing and treatment programs for everyone, not just sex workers.

Lie #4: Sex clubs are in the hands of criminals and they are gold mines

This is again a misconception that comes from Hollywood movies. There, all sex club owners are older men in suits or criminals in leather clothes with beards and cigarettes in their mouths. You can see a lot of Harley Davidsons or other cool motorcycles and/or sports cars in these movies, guns, jewelry, a lot of money, and only high-class girls everywhere.

If you ever were in a sex club, you were able to experience that reality is totally different. Of course, there are a lot of places around the world that are owned by organized criminal gangs; we reported many times about the connection of German brothels and the Hells Angels gang (for example here and here).

sex club owners in movies

The situation is much better in Austria, where you can find many types of brothels. The smaller sex studios are the entry-level places of the sex scene, where everyone can find girls for lower prices.

Punters, who are looking for a better service level, can choose from many high-class brothels in the city. There are average and good Laufhäuser, sauna clubs, and classic 5-star sex clubs.

One thing is sure, these places all have legal licenses from authorities, and the girls who work there also have their own licenses for work.

Authorities check the places very often, and in case of finding a girl without a license or health checks, they can close the brothel for a longer period of time as well. Of course, these places are owned by well-known local or international companies or families. For example, Sauna Club Goldentime belongs to a group with other places, Peepshow Burggasse’s owners also have another Laufhaus in Graz, and Sexclub Maxim Wien is a family business for decades. You won’t find criminals or gangs in the background at the best high-class brothels in Vienna.

Lie #5: There are a lot of underage girls in the sex industry

The presence of underage individuals in the sex industry is a serious and tragic issue, but exaggerating its prevalence does not help in addressing the problem. Instead, it can lead to panic-driven policies that harm sex workers without effectively protecting minors.

In most places in the world, you can see very strict laws and rules in the protection of underage girls and boys, and this is especially true when we are talking about the sex industry. It is not a question that you won’t find such minors in the brothels in Vienna, even the shadiest ones won’t risk this because there are very strict consequences for the sexual exploitation of minors in Austria.

In the past years, we reported a few cases where underage girls were involved in prostitution. These cases were mainly from Germany, for example, from Argau, where a customer reported a girl who seemed to be too young to work in the brothel. There were other cases, which were related to illegal bands, who forced illegally trafficked ladies into forced prostitution. Overall, these cases are very rare and from the world of illegal bands. We can confidently say that you won’t find underage sex workers in Viennese brothels, neither in the high-class ones nor in the tiniest sex studios.


Did you learn a lot from this article? Head over to our other long-form post, where we covered another interesting topic