Transgender sex worker

A transgender sex worker is a transgender person who works in the sex industry or performs sexual services in exchange for money or other forms of payment. The term transgender refers to a diverse population whose gender identity or expression differs from their assigned sex at birth. Transgender women are defined as natal males with female identification or expression and transgender men are natal females with male identification or expression. In general, sex workers appear to be at great risk for serious health problems related to their profession, such as physical and sexual assault, robbery, murder, physical and mental health problems, and drug and alcohol addiction. Though all sex workers are at risk for the problems listed, some studies suggest that sex workers who work on the street have a higher risk for experiencing these issues. Transgender sex workers experience high degrees of discrimination both in and outside of the sex industry and face higher rates of contracting HIV and experiencing violence as a result of their work.

Roughly 13 percent of the transgender community reports having participated in the sex industry, according to data from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. Transgender women and other transfeminine individuals are twice as more likely to participate in the sex trade than transmasculine people, but transgender men and transmasculine people compromise about a quarter of all transgender sex workers. These statistics reveal that more transmasculine people participate in the sex industry more than previously expected, especially given that many of the resources and discussions about transgender sex workers focus primarily on transgender women. Other statistics such as lack of family support, job loss due to being transgender, and homelessness were higher among transgender people who had participated in the sex trade compared to those who had not.

HIV and other STD rates among transgender sex workers are much higher than those found in transgender non-sex workers. 15.3 percent of those who had done work in the sex industry reported being HIV-positive, whereas only 1.2 percent of non-sex workers reported being HIV-positive. Various groups have been created for the purpose of reducing HIV and STD rates among transgender sex workers. These groups focus on providing resources that transgender people are often unable to access like education, shower facilities, and job placement programs.

Poverty works both as a cause and an effect of sex work. Sex workers as a whole are a vulnerable population due to obstacles like poverty, poor health, and legal and social barriers. A study that collected information on sex work from transgender women of color in San Francisco reported that for some transgender women sex work is a necessary means of survival. For these women, sex work is a way to get food, shelter, or income in a society that precludes them from many other lines of work.

...
Wikipedia