Sex Worker Resources (mostly U.S.)

This was originally compiled by Malana Krongelb in 2020 and has been updated and maintained by Reddit user FCSW (now suspended from reddit?) who very kindly gave me permission to share these resources here.

Contents

1. Housing

2. Health Care

3. Online Sex Work

4. Bad Internet, Good Internet

5. Financial Security

6. Mental Health & Disability

7. Sex Work

8. Incarceration

9. Leaving Sex Work

10. International Resources

11. For Allies

12. Other Sources Of Information

Housing

1. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: What to do if you’re facing eviction. [link]

2. List of free legal aid programs by state. [link]

3. Maryland has a Court Help Center to assist people who are representing themselves in a civil case, such as an eviction. [link]

   1. Check the website for your state’s Attorney General and/or your state court system for similar help if you plan to represent yourself.

4. The Maryland Attorney General’s office has a web page with resources for people facing eviction. [link]

   1. Check if your state AG has something similar.

5. A lot of local governments have emergency rental assistance funds. Check with your county or other local government.

6. DC: HIPS webpage with housing resources in Washington, DC. [link]

   1. Their website mentions a waiting list for housing, but there’s no further information. It looks like they offer housing services, but you’ll have to contact them to find out about them. [links]

7. NIH webpage with links to housing assistance for people with HIV or AIDS. [link]

8. HUD program to provide housing assistance for people with HIV or AIDS. [link]

9. NYC: The LGBT Center: Housing assistance for LGBTQ people who are HIV+. [link]

10. NYC: G.L.I.T.S. Housing services for trans sex workers. [link]

11. NV, Clark County: Ways to fight an eviction. [link]

Health Care

Risk Reduction for Many Infections

Vaccination

1. Adult vaccine assessment tool: Which vaccines should you have? [link]

   1. This applies to the general population. Sex workers who provide in-person services should also get whatever STD vaccinations are available.

2. CDC web page that tells you if free or low cost HPV, hepatitis A, or hepatitis B vaccines are available in your zip code. [link]

3. A lot of county and local health departments offer vaccinations. Sometimes these are free or low cost. Free vaccinations may only be available at specified times and specified location, and you may have to register ahead of time. If you have no health insurance, free vaccinations are worth the inconvenience. Check with your local health department to see what’s available.

Hand Washing

1. The 7 steps of handwashing with soap & water. The 3 steps of applying hand sanitizer. [link]

Phone Cleaning

1. Cleaning your phone without damaging it, & what to avoid. [link]

2. The Best Ways to Clean and Disinfect Your Phone [link]

Respiratory Infection Resources

For most people, respiratory infections are relatively mild, but they can temporarily prevent you from earning money, which may be a serious problem. In the worst case, flu viruses kill a small count of people each year, and Covid kills thousands of people in the US.

1. A professor of nursing explains how to minimize the chances of getting a cold or flu. [link]

2. CDC Hygiene and Respiratory Viruses Prevention page. [link]

3. CDC holiday risk reduction guide. [link]

4. CDC more detailed guidance, including information for specific at-risk groups. [link]

5. CDC data on the current level of respiratory infections, both from viruses and bacteria. For most states and counties, the CDC has data on ER visits and wastewater analysis. [link]

6. Masks: Disposable vs Cloth, experts disagree.

1. An expert recommends against cloth masks. [link]

2. An expert says cloth is OK under some circumstances. [link]

   1. Make your own mask DIY zine [link]

From Malana’s original Covid document, here are some suggestions for avoiding infection. If you have a medical condition that makes you more susceptible to contagious infections, or more susceptible to harm from contagious infections, or if you want to protect someone with such a medical condition, you may be able to incorporate some of these into your work.

1. WASH YOUR HANDS

   1. Use Cetaphil or other fragrance free lotion to prevent cracks/cuts from forming

   2. Fragrance free still matters for people, especially if people are experiencing respiratory issues [link]

   3. If you’re home/houseless, this is often difficult if not impossible--this is on the system and not on you! Don’t shame people if they can’t do so

   4. If you can't wash, use sanitizer

      1. Consider giving extra hand sanitizer to a person experiencing homelessness

2. Practice social/physical distancing (less physical contact)

   1. Domestic violence rates go up during times of crisis. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233 [link]

3. Wipe down surfaces that have frequent use but infrequent cleaning (doorknobs, phones, etc.)

4. If you have mail or have something delivered, wait 72 hours before touching it. In other words, quarantine your packages!

5. Stay hydrated!

6. Avoid kissing and limit saliva/spit sharing

7. Go for positions that limit face to face contact

8. Screen clients for cold and flu symptoms and recent travel (including travel within the U.S.)

9. Ask clients if they are high risk- you can be asymptomatic too!

10. Consider directing clients to other services if you offer them (photos, skype sessions, etc.)

11. Use cashless/digital transactions whenever possible. Have clients wash hands after exchanging physical money or touching a phone.

12. Continue other regular hygiene measures: condom use and dental dam use, monitoring your symptoms, showers, mouthwash, wiping down surfaces, new sheets, etc.

Covid Resources

The pandemic is officially over, but Covid hasn’t gone away. CDC’s provisional data indicates that 76,446 people died of Covid in 2023. [link]

Testing

1. If you need testing immediately, many pharmacies sell at-home tests.

2. Dept. of Health & Human Services web page. [link]

   1. Ordering free at-home Covid tests. HHS even pays shipping. You can order up to four.

   2. For uninsured people, links for finding free in-person testing.

3. CDC guide to testing. Which type of test to use, how often to repeat. [link]

4. Finding Covid medication. [link]

   1. You may be able to get medication free if you qualify.

   2. Some locations will test you, provide a consultation with a health care provider, and fill your prescription, all in one visit.

5. Information on mutual aid resources, how to prep, surviving quarantine, etc. COVID-19 Disability Community [link]

Sex Work Specific

1. SWOP USA Sex Worker Health Precautions and COVID-19 [link]

2. Butterfly Project and Maggie's Sex Work COVID-19 Guidelines [link]

3. How To Keep Your Clients and Yourself Safer From COVID [link]

Reproductive Health and COVID-19

1. All Your Horny Little Coronavirus Questions, Answered [link]

2. COVID-19 Potential Fallout for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights [link]

3. Sex, Gender, and Relationships Hotline 415-989-7374 [link]

4. Coronavirus survey: America’s new health habits [link]

5. Covid 19 Information Station [link]

6. Coronavirus and Fertility [link]

7. Coronavirus and Pregnancy [link]

Contraception, Abortion, & Pregnancy

Currently, there are no states in the U.S. where women can be prosecuted for having an abortion. However, they can be prosecuted for things related to abortion. Also, you may be prosecuted if you help someone get an abortion. So the first item here is legal advice.

1. Repro Legal Helpline: They answer legal questions about abortion, miscarriage, labor, and delivery. They can answer questions about abortion laws in all 50 states in the U.S. They have a legal defense fund for people facing abortion-related prosecutions. If your situation doesn’t quite match what they say they help with, talk to them anyway and they’ll try to help. [link]

2. Pregnancy Justice: Defending the civil rights of pregnant people, focusing on poor people, POC, and drug users. [link]

3. Aid Access: As far as I know, this is the only organization that supplies abortion pills to all 50 states in the U.S. You have an online conference with a doctor in France, the doctor sends the prescription to a legal pharmacy in the U.S., and the pills are mailed to you. Payment is sliding scale, with no cost for people who can’t pay. [link]

4. M+A Hotline: Talk to a doctor or nurse practitioner about miscarriage or abortion. (They do not supply pills. They only answer questions.) [link]

   1. M+A Hotline webpage with links to abortion resources: information, emotional support, abortion funds, & legal advice. [link]

5. Plan C: Pick a state and they’ll tell you how people in that state are getting abortion pills. [link]

6. NYC: Bluestocking Cooperative Bookstore offers free Plan B emergency contraception through a NYC health department program. Click the link and go to the bottom of the page for address, map, and store hours. [link]

7. HIPS web page with links to abortion resources. [link]

8. Sex Workers Outreach Project Los Angeles, Abortion Navigation Services: “an abortion support access program to provide financial aid and trauma-informed peer support for those seeking an abortion.” You don’t have to live in California to receive services. [link]

9. ACT: Web page with abortion resources: telemedicine abortion, medical & emotional support, legal assistance, financial assistance, & digital security. [link]

10. Hey Jane: Telemedicine abortions. Check their website to see which states they offer abortions in. [link]

11. Free Condom At Home Delivery List [link]

12. Holistic Abortions [link]

HIV/AIDS

Prevention

PrEP: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. Pills or shots that reduce your chances of getting HIV. PrEP is for adults and adolescents without HIV who may be exposed to HIV through sex or injection drug use.

1. Assume every client is HIV+. If possible, use both PrEP and condoms. Some clients who are HIV+ won’t tell you.

1. About 15% of people who are HIV+ don’t know it. [link]

2. Some HIV+ people aren’t getting treatment.. [link]

2. CDC page on PrEP: what PrEP is, interactions with other drugs, effectiveness, and getting help paying for it. [link]

3. Free Condom At Home Delivery List [link]

4. MISTR provides free PrEP, delivered to you: testing, doctor consultation, shipping, medication and refills, all free. If you have insurance, they will bill your insurance company, but people with no insurance have gotten PrEP through them. Some people report poor customer service and/or unreliable refills, but other people are quite happy with them. [link]

5. NYC: The NYC Sexual Health Clinics offer PrEP. Services are low- to no-cost. Testing is anonymous; they may ask for your name, but you don’t have to give it. [link]

6. NYC: The LGBT Center: One-on-one counseling and education on HIV prevention. Referrals to LGBTQ+-affirming PrEP providers. [link]

7. DC: The DC Health Department offers free PrEP & HIV testing . [link]

Testing

1. CDC web page that tells you if free or low cost HIV testing is available in your zip code. Testing options may include having free at-home tests mailed to you. [link]

2. Free walk-in HIV and STD testing. Various locations in the U.S. [link]

3. Free at-home HIV tests for eligible residents of Maryland and Virginia. [link]

4. Many Planned Parenthood health centers offer HIV and STD tests. But not all do, so you have to check. [link]

5. Free in-person HIV testing in Maryland. [link]

6. NYC: The LGBT Center: Free HIV and Hepatitis C walk-in testing. Click link for times and location. [link]

7. DC: HIPS. Free HIV & hepatitis C testing for eligible people. [link]

8. NYC: The NYC Sexual Health Clinics offer low- to no-cost HIV testing. Some locations offer express testing. Some locations are walk-in only, and some are appointment only. [link]

9. The McKenzie Project: Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in Florida. Black trans led for trans. Free, confidential and rapid HIV testing. [link]

10. DC: The DC Health Department offers free PrEP & HIV testing. [link]

Treatment & Support

1. How to Find HIV Treatment Services. Also has sections on getting help paying for HIV meds, getting housing assistance, and getting mental health assistance. [link]

2. Covid and people with HIV. [link]

3. HIV and Opportunistic Infections, Coinfections, and Conditions. This webpage covers HIV and Covid, but it has links to pages on HIV and other coinfections. [link]

4. NYC: The LGBT Center: Counseling, group support, case management, and housing assistance for LGBTQ people who are HIV+. [link]

5. DC: Web page with information on HIV treatment in DC, including programs that help pay for treatment. [link]

STIs

Prevention

DoxyPEP: Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis. Medicine that you take after exposure to gonorrhea, chlamydia, or syphilis. It reduces the odds of getting an infection by 50-80%. Ideally you should have this on hand so you can take it immediately if a client stealths you, a condom breaks, or you are exposed in some other way.

1. MISTR is offering free DoxyPEP.

   1. Here’s the MISTR press release. [link]

   2. There are no links that mention DoxyPEP on their website. It looks like you have to use the link for PrEP and tell them you want DoxyPEP after you sign up. [link]

2. CDC web page that tells you if free or low cost HPV, hepatitis A, or hepatitis B vaccines are available in your zip code. [link]

3. Free Condom At Home Delivery List [link]

4. In Maryland, list of county health departments with phone numbers for STI prevention services. [link]

5. NYC: The NYC Sexual Health Clinics offer DoxyPEP. Services are low- to no-cost. [link]

6. Checking a client for STIs. [link]

7. Checking a penis for STIs. [link]

Testing

1. CDC web page that tells you if free or low cost STI testing is available in your zip code. Testing options may include having free at-home tests mailed to you. Includes tests for four STIs and hepatitis A, B, and C. [link]

2. Many Planned Parenthood health centers offer HIV and STD tests. But not all do, so you have to check. [link]

3. Free walk-in HIV and STD testing. Various locations in the U.S. [link]

4. Free testing and treatment for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trich for Maryland residents up to the age of 26. [link]

5. Free in-person syphilis testing in Maryland. [link]

6. NYC: The LGBT Center: Free HIV and Hepatitis C walk-in testing. Click link for times and location. [link]

7. NYC: The NYC Sexual Health Clinics offer low- to no-cost STI testing. Some locations offer express testing. Some locations are walk-in only, and some are appointment only. [link]

8. Try calling your local health department. Many provide free or reduced cost testing.

Treatment & Support

1. Planned Parenthood offers treatment for STDs. Payment is on a sliding scale. If you’re uninsured, you may be able to get free treatment. [link]

   1. DC: Planned Parenthood webpage with phone number to call in DC to find out if you qualify for financial assistance for STI treatment. [link]

2. Free testing and treatment for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trich for Maryland residents up to the age of 26. [link]

Other Medical Care

1. NYC: COIN Clinic. Healthcare for sex workers. 3 locations. Click link and go to the bottom of the page for addresses and phone numbers. [link]

2. NYC: G.L.I.T.S. Health and housing services for trans sex workers.

   1. Web site, main page: [link]

   2. It looks like you have to fill out their contact form to access services. [link]

3. NYC: The LGBT Center: Physical & mental health services for LGBTQ people. [link]

4. FL: The McKenzie Project: Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Black trans led for trans. Emergency linkage to care, HRT access,

Miscellaneous resources

1. An old (2020) state by state guide to Covid testing resources. The Covid information is out of date, but it gives the phone numbers for more than 50 public health departments. [link]

Online Sex Work

Some Basic Online Options

1. VXPages [link] ---HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! VXpages provides an online mentor to set you up. They include building and hosting their websites, live streaming, monthly subscriptions, payment processing, protecting your content from being stolen all in one package. This is key to sex workers who are new to online work and have to make the change quickly.

2. Digital Sexwork Platform Information [link]

3. List of Sexting/Phone Sex/Camming Jobs [link]

4. FanCentro Preparation for COVID-19 [link]

5. COVID-19 Changes Hustle by Allyson [link]

6. Model release form, 2, 4, & 8 model shared rights forms, guide to Clips4Sale, what fetishes are allowed on what clip sites. [link]

SWers Offering Guidance

1. Jessica Starling @J3ssicaStarling [link] --online SW consultations for people who do/did in-person SW

2. Eva Sterling @MsEvaSterling [link] --NiteFlirt Assistance

3. Ashley Fenison @thirdeyeash [link] --general online SW advice for people starting out

How-To Guides

1. Going Digital Video with Melissa Drew [link]

2. Online SW Starter Guide by @J3ssicaStarling [link]

3. Camming Tips: Do’s and Don’ts and Mistakes to Avoid [link]

4. Camgirl Toolbox [link]

5. Cam Girl Problems on Reddit [link]

6. Digital Sex Work Platform Information [link]

7. The Insanely Large Guide of How To Become a Cam Girl [link]

8. Maximizing Your Slut Impact: An Overly Analytical Guide to Camgirling [link]

9. Webcam Startup [link] --guides on starting up camgirling, selling clips, selling homemade porn, selling adult Skype videos, etc.

10. OnlyFans Starter Guide. This is costs $10, but it was recommended by Racks to Riches because of its quality and you’d be supporting black SWer Elexus Jionde [link]

11. Desperate Times Call for Kinky Measures: How to Make Money as a PSO [link]

12. Phone Sex University [link]

13. Where to Sell Nudes [link]

14. Make Money Selling Nudes [link]

15. Future of Sex [link] --not a how-to guide per say, but has lots of information on digital sex and sexuality, including online sex work and remote sex toys

SW Friendly Website Hosting Options

1. Red Umbrella Hosting [link] (SW run)

2. Reviews of NSFW-Friendly Web Hosts [link]

3. List of Adult Web Hosting Providers (focus on specs and prices, not sure about privacy of each one) [link]

4. How to set up a website/domain as a sex worker [link] NOTE--I would NOT recommend the suggested host websites listed in this article, but other info is useful so I included it. See the hosting websites above or the Online Occupational Safety section below

In Real Life Hygiene for Online Work

1. The Best Ways to Clean and Disinfect Your Phone [link]

2. Sex Toy Hygiene Tips [link]

Bad Internet, Good Internet

Bad Internet

When the Internet is bad and smacking its nose with a rolled-up newspaper isn’t having any effect, these links may help.

1. How to Send a Takedown Request to an Escort Directory. [link]

2. Hacking//Hustling: “a collective of sex workers, survivors, and accomplices”. Preventing bad things from happening online, and recovering from bad things. Main web page. [link]

   1. Doxxing prevention harm reduction training. [link]

   2. Guide to dealing with account shutdowns. [link]

   3. Sex worker guide to protecting yourself at work. [link]

3. Tech and security on the Tryst.link blog:

   1. Ask Ada: Tech topics. Two sample posts: caring for your physical body while using digital devices, and encrypting your phone. [link]

   2. Sluts For Security: Self-protection online. Two sample posts: identifying scam emails, and hosting your own website so Wix can’t shut you down for being a sex worker. [link]

4. Protecting Your Anonymity and Privacy: A How To for Sex Workers. (The TextSecure app described in the article is now called Signal, and is available for Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac, and Linux.) [link]

5. Removing Location Data from Photos [link]

6. Teledildonics and Security Risks [link]

7. PRIVACY WARNING when using namecheap [link]

8. List of Platforms Which Discriminate Against Sex Workers [link]

9. If you do anything abortion related online, your privacy and security are at risk. A description of the risks and tips for dealing with them. [link]

10. See the SW Friendly Website Hosting Options subsection in the Online Sexwork section.

Good Internet

1. Sex Worker Search: Find The Websites of Independent Sex Workers. [link]

2. Stripped By Sia: A podcast about “all the fancy naked people”. Recent topics include decrim in NZ, streaming on Twitch, and home ownership for sex workers. [link]

3. Rate That Rescue: "A community resource for sex work, where everyone can add and review organizations that provide services that sex workers use." [link]

4. Sex work discussion forums on Reddit:

   1. r/SexWorkers: A sub for “any type of sex worker or the general public to discuss sex work in general.” [link]

   2. r/TransgenderSexWorkers: A sub “focused on the experiences and interests of the transgender sex work community.” [link]

   3. r/SexWorkersOnly: A sub for current and former sex workers only. Posts can only be viewed by members. Click on the link to learn how to join. [link]

   4. r/Strippers: “discussion and education for strippers, customers, and club staff.” [link]

   5. I’m pretty sure there’s a black sex workers sub, but I can’t find it.

5. Website Template Files [link]
6. Domain and hosting guide [link]
7. Website editing guide [link]
8. [SEO Guide] How to rank high on Google [link]
9. [Marketing Tips] Generate more contacts and views [link]
10. [Privacy/Security Guide] How to protect my identity and my clients? [link]
11. How to spot hidden cameras [link]
12. Best marketing and automation tools for SW [link]

Financial Security

Payment Options

1. Sex Worker Approved Payment Options [link]

2. Bitcoin and Escorting [link]

U.S. SWer mutual aid funds and other resources

*For international mutual aid, see the international section below

National

1. Lysistrata (U.S.) [link]

2. SWOP Behind Bars [link]

Regional

1. CA: Sex Worker ER Grant (by BAWS). Paused as of 1/18/2024. [link]

2. CO: Colorado Entertainment Coalition [link]

3. MA: Whose Corner is It Anyway [link]

4. MN: Twin Cities Queer and Trans Mutual Aid [link]

5. New England: Out In The Open Mutual Aid [link]

6. New York City: Bluestockings Cooperative Bookstore Free Store. The books are not free, but they have “shelf-stable items like snacks, hygiene products, and clothing” behind the main counter for people who need them. They also offer free Plan B emergency contraceptives through a health department program. Click the link and go to the bottom of the page for address, map, and open hours. [link]

7. OH: Emergency fund for black LGBTQIA+ people in Columbus. (On pause as of July 2024. You can check the link to see if they’re active again.) [link]

8. TN: Memphis. My Sistah’s House. For black and brown transgender and non-binary people. Safe spaces, emergency shelter, health and social services. [link]

9. FL: The McKenzie Project: Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Black trans led for trans. Food pantry, laundry, shower, technology room, beauty room, clothing closet, charger station, a place to receive mail, Narcan, needle exchange, and fentanyl strips. [link]

10. Las Vegas, NV: SWAID: Sex Worker Mutual Aid Collective. When they have the funds, they give out $100 micro-grants. They also distribute Plan B, condoms, female condoms, clean needles, fentanyl test strips,Narcan (Naloxone), and sometimes diapers and groceries. Main web page. [link]

    1. $100 micro-grant request form. [link]

    2. Harm reduction supplies request form. [link]

Rhode Island Resources

1. AMOR Community Resources doc [link]

2. Providence Community Mutual Aid *INTAKE*. ( 12/7/2024: They have temporarily stopped.) [link]

3. COVID-19 PVD Area Mutual Aid and Community Assistance & Resource list [link]

4. COVID-19 Community Info Sheet (in Korean) [link]

5. RI Shelter, Food Banks Info & Temp Jobs [link]

Mental Health and Disability

General

1. Disaster Distress Helpline 1-800-985-5990 [link]

2. COVID-19 Disability Community Resources [link]

3. 5 Mental Health Hacks For Your Sexual Wellness Routine [link]

Therapy & Counseling

1. Pineapple Support: Free/subsidized therapy and emotional support for sex workers. [link]

2. Sex Worker Health Resources [link]

3. NYC: The LGBT Center: Short term mental health counseling for LGBTQ+ people. [link]

Harm Reduction/Substance Use

1. COVID-19 Guidance for People Who Use Drugs [link]

2. Safer Drug Use During the COVID-19 Outbreak [link]

3. How to Practice Harm Reduction in the Age of COVID-19 [link]

4. Online AA meetings [link]

5. NYC: The LGBT Center: Substance use recovery. “The Center’s outpatient substance use treatment program is the only New York State licensed outpatient program specifically designed for the LGBTQ+ community.”

   1. For young people. [link]

   2. For older people. [link]

6. PA, Philadelphia, Project SAFE. Distributes harm reduction supplies & bad date sheets twice a week to drug users and sex workers on Kensington Ave. Also delivers harm reduction supplies twice weekly to people who call and request it. [link]

Black Specific Resources

1. This list of resources [link]

2. Therapy for Black Girls [link] (memberships are currently being sponsored by @mytopicals)

3. Therapy for Black Men [link]

4. Melanin and Mental Health [link]

5. Open Path Collective [link]

6. Balanced Black Girl [link]

7. Bad Bitches Have Bad Days Too [link]

8. Black Virtual Wellness Directory [link]

Sex Workers

1. SWOP USA Hotline: 877-776-2004

2. Sex Workers Project: “free immigration legal services to people ages 18 and up who are current or former sex workers, trafficking survivors, or profiled as sex workers.” They don’t receive walk-in clients or inquiries. Call their helpline at 646-602-5617.

   1. More info on their legal services. [link]

Sex Work Harm Reduction

1. PA, Philadelphia, Project SAFE. Distributes harm reduction supplies & bad date sheets twice a week to drug users and sex workers on Kensington Ave. Also delivers harm reduction supplies twice weekly to people who call and request it. [link]

2. HIPS webpage with harm reduction educational materials, including a section on sex work. [link]

3. WA: “Aileen’s is a peer-led community organizing and hospitality space for women working along the Pac Highway in south King County, Washington State.”

   1. Highway Haven: Fridays 6-10PM. Hang out and get “warm clothes, blankets, harm reduction supplies, hygiene items, hot drinks, wifi & computer access, and more” [link]

   2. Bad Date Line [link]

Sex Work Guides

1. SJI shut down at the end of 2023. For years their website had a guide to screening and other ways of staying safe, but it's no longer available there. I've got a copy on my DropBox. Here's the link. [link]

2. Transmasculine Guide to Sex Work. [link]

Incarceration

1. Beyond These Walls: Various programs for LGBTQIA2S+ people incarcerated in the Pacific Northwest, including:

   1. Re-entry support after incarceration. [link]

   2. Care Closet: Release packages including personal hygiene items and gender appropriate clothing. [link]

   3. Advocacy: Name changes, connecting prisoners to resources, letters of support, and legal referrals. [link]

Leaving Sex Work

1. NYC: The LGBT Center: Various job-finding and career services for LGBTQ+ people.

   1. For adults older than 30: resume editing, interview training, and other services. [link]

   2. For young adults 18-30: vocational counselling, job search support, paid internships, and other services. [link]

   3. Housing support, mental health counselling, & other services you may need as you move out of sex work into other work. [link]

2. DC: HIPS Dream Incubator. Job search assistance for sex workers and drug users. Covers applications, cover letters, resumes, grant applications, and interview preparation. [links]

International Resources

UK

1. SAAFE webpage listing projects that provide services to sex workers. [link]

2. SAAFE webpage with warnings about specific clients. Includes everything from time wasters to clients who are physically violent. [link]

3. National Ugly Mugs network: Takes reports of violent or dangerous clients and distributes the information to its network members. [link]

   1. They can help take down unwanted online content. [link]

   2. They also provide victim services, mental health resources, racial justice support, and help moving out of sex work.

4. Revenge Porn Helpline: Help dealing with someone sharing your images or videos without your consent, either online or off-line. [link]

5. SWARM: Various guides, including a guide to stalking and harassment. [link]

6. Adult Industry Services: “a directory of counsellors and accountants that provide stigma free services for people working in the adult industry." Nominally an international directory, but most of the providers seem to be in the UK. [link]

Not UK

1. Red Edition (Austria) Migrant Sex Worker Hotline (including emotional support): 436763802731 [link]

2. Canadian SWer Resources from Butterfly and Maggie’s Toronto [link]

3. Berlin Collective Action Resources for Sex Workers [link]

4. List of SW COVID Emergency Funds around the world [link]

5. International Solidarity Message from Red Umbrella Fund (includes resources and funds nationally and internationally) [link]

6. Information for Australian SWers from SWOP NSW [link]

For Allies

1. Pay sex workers directly, through Venmo, Patreon, by subscribing, etc.

2. PAY FOR YOUR PORN and financially support sex workers’ content

3. Donate to the organizations/mutual aid funds listed above

4. 85 Ways to Be an Ally to Sex Workers by femi babylon [link]

5. Check in on the sex workers in your life, especially ones who are disabled, chronically ill, incarcerated, or homeless

6. Support policies/legislation that are inclusive of sex workers [link], such as described by Sex Workers Alliance Ireland

7. Call your local LGBTQ organizations, health departments, city halls, etc. and ask what they are doing to support sex workers

8. Protest/call your Senators and Representatives about the EARN IT Act, a bill to stop end to end encryption

   1. Hacking//Hustling Community Call about EARN IT [link]

9. Tryst.link blog articles on being an ally:

   1. Being friends with a sex worker. [link]

   2. Doing pole fit and being an ally. [link]

   3. An Ally’s Guide to Using the Right Words for the Sex Industry. [link]

   4. What NOT to Say to Be a Good Ally. [link]

   5. A collection of articles that Tryst tagged as “Allyship Resources”. [link]

Other Sources Of Information

Most of these aren’t specifically oriented toward sex workers, but a lot of the resources are things that some sex workers need.

Lists & Directories

1. Find Help: A web site that claims to list resources available in your zip code. [link]

2. 50 States Public Assistance Guide: In the U.S., public assistance programs in each of the 50 states. [link]

3. SWOP Behind Bars Resource Directory. [link]

4. GA: Atlanta Trans Resource Guide. Resources marked with a 4-cornered star are sex worker friendly. [link]

5. NM: Bright Spaces, Welcome Places. “New Mexico’s Provider Directory for LGBTQ+ affirming care.” [link]

6. NYC: Bluestockings Cooperative Harm Reduction, Mutual Aid, & Resource Directory. [link]

Organizations Offering Many Resources

Some of the programs and resources offered by these organizations are listed above under the appropriate categories, but they offer more than I can list. If they’re in your area, it may be worth your while to look at their web site and see what they’re offering.

1. NYC: Henry Street Settlement: Providing services to NYC, but based in the Lower East Side, they’ve been around for over 130 years. I haven’t tried to count, but I’ve read that they have over 50 programs offering various services. [link]

2. FL: The McKenzie Project: Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Black trans led. Provides various services for trans people. [link]

___________________________________________________________________________

This list was originally created by Malana Krongelb. It has been updated by fcsw.

I still haven't managed to get a response from Bluesky about whether all sex workers, including in person sex workers, are welcome on the Bluesky platform.

But for now, it does seem to be the best option for us.

This guide by Reddit user InGodWeTryst has a lot of great info for Sex Workers trying to promote via Bluesky.

I spoke with Mel and got permission to share the guide here.

The Oursky feed is a brilliant idea.

If you pin the feed, then every time you open Bluesky, just look for "Feeds" in the left sidebar. Click that and go to your Oursky feed. All the posts you see will be from genuine sex workers.

Or, you can see pages of posts from genuine sex workers in a specific geographical location using hashtags. Use the same hashtags in your own posts so you'll appear in these searches.

Regional Feeds (use these hashtags to appear in them):

— DateNortheast: #DateDMV, #DateBaltimore, #DatePhiladelphia, #DatePittsburgh, #DateAllentown, #DateHarrisburg, #DateScranton, #DateNewark, #DateJerseyCity, #DateTrenton, #DateAtlanticCity, #DateNewYork, #DateBuffalo, #DateRochester, #DateSyracuse, #DateAlbany, #DateBurlington, #DateStamford, #DateHartford, #DateBridgeport, #DateProvidence, #DateWorcester, #DateBoston, #DateManchester, #DateMaine, #DateBangor, #DateNYC, #DatePHL, #DatePIT, #DateBOS, #DateDC, #DateVT, #DateMD, #DatePA, #DateNJ, #DateVA, #DateNY, #DateCT, #DateRI, #DateMA, #DateNH, #DateNova https://bsky.app/profile/ingodwetryst.bsky.social/feed/aaaf7qzjm7lxs

— DateSouth: #DateAtlanta, #DateCharlotte, #DateRaleigh, #DateGreensboro, #DateCharleston, #DateColumbia, #DateGreenville, #DateSavannah, #DateAugusta, #DateMacon, #DateAthens, #DateBirmingham, #DateMobile, #DateMontgomery, #DateHuntsville, #DateKnoxville, #DateChattanooga, #DateMemphis, #DateNashville, #DateLittleRock, #DateFayetteville, #DateLexington, #DateLouisville, #DateRichmond, #DateNorfolk, #DateHouston, #DateDallas, #DateAustin, #DateSanAntonio, #DateFortWorth, #DateElPaso, #DateATL, #DateCLT, #DateDFW, #DateATX, #DateMiami, #DateJacksonville, #DateTampa, #DateOrlando, #DateTulsa, #DateOKC, #DateMIA, #DateFLL, #DateFlorida, #DateNC, #DateFL, #DateOK, #DateTX, #DateVA, #DateKY, #DateTN, #DateAL, #DateAR, #DateSC, #DateGA https://bsky.app/profile/ingodwetryst.bsky.social/feed/aaaf73mphx5ty

— DateCalifornia & Vegas: #DateLasVegas, #DateVegas, #DateLA, #DateOC, #DateLV, #DateNV, #DateLosAngeles, #DateSanFrancisco, #DateSanDiego, #DateSacramento, #DateSanJose, #DateFresno, #DateOakland, #DateLongBeach, #DateAnaheim, #DateBakersfield, #DateRiverside, #DateSantaAna, #DateIrvine, #DateStockton, #DateModesto, #DatePasadena, #DateSantaBarbara, #DateSantaMonica, #DateSanBernardino, #DateLAX, #DateSF, #DateSD, #DateLAS, #DateSJC, #DateOAK, #DateCA https://bsky.app/profile/ingodwetryst.bsky.social/feed/aaagadxngpyxw

— DateMidwest: #DateChicago, #DateIndianapolis, #DateDetroit, #DateColumbus, #DateCleveland, #DateCincinnati, #DateMilwaukee, #DateMinneapolis, #DateStPaul, #DateKansasCity, #DateStLouis, #DateOmaha, #DateDesMoines, #DateWichita, #DateToledo, #DateAkron, #DateGrandRapids, #DateSpringfield, #DateMadison, #DateMSP, #DateDET, #DateCHI, #DateIL, #DateIN, #DateMI, #DateOH, #DateWI, #DateMN, #DateMO, #DateNE, #DateIA, #DateKS https://bsky.app/profile/ingodwetryst.bsky.social/feed/aaagblnvxhfha

— DateWest: #DateSeattle, #DatePortland, #DatePhoenix, #DateSaltLakeCity, #DateReno, #DateSpokane, #DateBoise, #DateHonolulu, #DateAnchorage, #DateTucson, #DateFlagstaff, #DateSantaFe, #DateAlbuquerque, #DateCheyenne, #DateBillings, #DateFargo, #DateBismarck, #DateGrandForks, #DateHelena, #DateMissoula, #DateCasper, #DateRapidCity, #DateProvo, #DateSiouxFalls, #DateDavenport, #DateEvansville, #DateGreenBay, #DateND, #DateSD, #DateWA, #DateOR, #DateIA, #DateHI, #DateAK, #DateAZ, #DatePDX, #DateSEA, #DatePHX, #DatePNW https://bsky.app/profile/ingodwetryst.bsky.social/feed/aaagblzc4xvii

— DateColorado: #DateDenver, #DateBoulder, #DateColoradoSprings, #DateFortCollins, #DateAurora, #DateGrandJunction, #DatePueblo, #DateGreeley, #DateDurango, #DateVail, #DateAspen, #DateCastleRock, #DateLoveland, #DateSteamboatSprings, #DateDEN, #DateCO, #DateCOSprings https://bsky.app/profile/ingodwetryst.bsky.social/feed/aaagbnfv4mi2s

— DateCanada: #DateToronto, #DateVancouver, #DateMontreal, #DateCalgary, #DateEdmonton, #DateOttawa, #DateQuebecCity, #DateWinnipeg, #DateHalifax, #DateVictoria, #DateNanaimo, #DateKamloops, #DateKelowna, #DateSaskatoon, #DateRegina, #DateStJohns, #DateYYZ, #DateYVR, #DateYUL, #DateYYC, #DateYEG, #DateYOW, #DateYQB, #DateYWG, #DateYHZ, #DateYYJ, #DateYXE, #DateYQR, #DateYYT, #DateON, #DateBC, #DateQC, #DateAB, #DateNL, #DatePE, #DateNS, #DateNB, #DateMB, #DateSK, #DateYT, #DateNT, #DateNU https://bsky.app/profile/ingodwetryst.bsky.social/feed/aaahk73etzt6e

Starter Packs

Click "Follow All".

Discoverability Pack #1

Discoverability Pack #2

Discoverability Pack #3

Discoverability Pack #4

Discoverability Pack #5

 

Most of them won't follow you back, or reply to comments, or messages, or return the favour if you like or repost something of theirs by doing the same for you. But some will.

Migrating Followers from Twitter and Instagram

I used Sky Follower Bridge to find out which of my followers on Twitter (X) and Instagram also have Bluesky accounts and to follow them all on Buesky with one click.

Here's a guide explaining how to find Bluesky users within your X followers list using the plugin.

Here's another guide explaining how to do the same thing for Instagram.

Real Sex Workers

If someone has made an effort to fill out their bio, they mention a geographical location and they have links to their personal website, verified ad and/or a linktree or similar, they're probably genuine.

I could still be a scammer impersonating a real sex worker.

The best way to verify is to click through to their website or link tree and check whether they link back to that same Bluesky account you came from.

Fake Sex Workers

If you go into your Bluesky notifications and see the people who have recently followed you, or just go into your followers list. It's automatically sorted by most recent first. You'll notice that a lot of the people following you appear at first glance to be sex workers.

If you look more closely at their profiles, many of them are allegedly Fin Doms or content creators but they have very generic looking (ie stolen or AI generated) images, minimal or no bio information, often they have no location mentioned and they either have no link to a personal website, verified ad or linktree or similar, or the only link they display is to some dodgy looking site you've never heard of.

Don't follow them back.

If you do, you'll just get spammed with messages from people trying to scam you in one way or another.

How to Promote Yourself on Bluesky

The entire point of Bluesky, or any kind of web presence, for sex workers is to be noticed by genuine, paying clients who will book an appointment, show up and pay.

Not everyone who sees your Bluesky posts will be a paying client but that's ok. It's just part of your overall web presence. The more people who see you online, the more business and income that web presence generates for you.

Quantity counts obviously so just post more. Also, quality. Post in a way that will be appealing to clients.

Post

Post often.

Post professional pics, post selfies, post memes, post pictures of where you are on tour or on holidays or what glamorous or sexy items you've bought, what toys you're using in sessions. Post a selfie with your duo partner. Post links to your latest blog posts.

The more you post, the better.

Use the oursky hashtag and the location tags above.

Location, Location, Location

The quantity nor quality of your posts won't matter if nobody knows where in the world you are.

Top tip = say where you are.

Use the location hashtags above.

Say the name of your country and city in plain text.

Make sure it says where you are in your bio (and on your website and ads and everywhere else) top and centre where people can see it within a fraction of a second.

Announce your tour plans.

Tell people where you are and where you will be.

Add Content Warnings

When you post, click the "Label" link on the post editor. Select suggestive, nudity, adult content, or graphic media as appropriate.

Comment on Other Sex Workers Posts

Especially if they're in the same geographic location as you.

So go to one of those location hashtag feeds and comment on posts.

The clients looking at their posts will see your comment.

Some of them will click through to you and those clicks lead to $$$.

Respond to Comments

When other people comment on your posts, reply.

Welcome the attention.

Let people know you want to interact and you're happy to engage.

More engagement means more $$$.

Follow All Genuine Sex Workers Back

The more genuine sex workers you follow, the better.

Use those starter packs above.

If you can see someone is genuine, follow them.

Follow all the genuine sex workers in their followers and following lists and those who recently commented on their posts.

Some of them will follow you back.

More followers means more engagement means more $$$.

Follow For Follow

Welcome to make a follow for follow post on the /r/sexworkers subreddit.

I'm a moderator there.

I'll approve it.

If your a member of any other sex worker groups eg on Whatsapp, Telegram, Signal, Discord etc, make sure it's ok to post follow for follow there. Ask the admins or moderators if necessary. Then if it's ok, make a post with your bsky username saying you will follow back.

Return the Favour

If someone likes your post, or shares your post, or comments, then do the same for them. They're giving you free advertising. Show them you appreciate it and they might do it again in future. The more people who are willing to do this for you, the more $$$ you make.

Link to your Bluesky

Put a link to your Bluesky on your personal website, in your verified ads and on your link aggregator eg Linktree.

 

The ability to get content removed from the internet is a handy skill to have as sex worker.

I often see people requesting help and advice on Reddit and on sex worker group chats on WhatsApp when their images and or contact details are appearing somewhere and they want them taken down.

Scraper Sites

This can happen when scraper sites use a bot to extract details from other websites. Scraper sites are escort directories with a business model of scraping other directories ads to make their own site look popular in the hopes of generating traffic and getting people to pay to register.

Outdated Ads

It can also happen with old, outdated ads. eg when someone has registered, created an ad and then lost, or forgotten, their login details and lost access to the email they registered with so they can't reset their password.

Stolen Content

In some cases our images and ad copy can be outright stolen by other sex workers, or scammers pretending to be sex workers.

Copyright of Images

The owner of the copyright of your images is probably the photographer under UK law. Check what the applicable law is in your location. If you're getting new pictures taken, you might want to ask the photographer to assign you as the sole owner of the copyright. Here's the form you can ask them to sign in order to do this.

Takedown Requests

Whatever the reason, if our images and personal details are appearing somewhere we don't want them to appear, there are some useful techniques that can assist in getting them taken down.

Google

To remove a website from Google search results, you can use the Google Search Console. First, verify ownership of the website through the console. Then, go to the "Removals" tool within the console to request the temporary removal of specific URLs. You can also add a "noindex" meta tag to the pages you want to exclude from search results, which instructs Google not to index those pages. Additionally, you can block Google’s web crawler (Googlebot) using the "robots.txt" file. For immediate issues, use the "Remove Outdated Content" tool in Google's support to request removal of cached versions of pages.

Google Images

To remove an image of yourself from Google Images, you need to first identify the source of the image and contact the website owner to request its removal, as Google cannot remove images directly from third-party sites. Once the image is removed from the source, it will eventually disappear from Google Images. If you are unable to contact the site owner or the content is inappropriate, you can use the Google "Remove Outdated Content" tool to expedite the removal of the image from search results, or submit a legal removal request if it violates privacy or other policies. For specific cases like sensitive personal information or copyright violations, Google has dedicated forms to address these concerns.

Google also has processes for the following =

• Remove explicit or intimate personal images from Google Search results
• Remove explicit non-consensual fake imagery from Google Search results
• Remove association with irrelevant sexual content from Google search results for my name
• Remove personally identifiable information (PII) or doxxing content from Google Search results
• Remove content about me on sites with exploitative removal practices from Google Search results

Yahoo

To remove an image of yourself or other content from Yahoo, you'll need to first get the image or content taken down from the source website hosting it, as Yahoo cannot remove anything directly from third-party sites. Contact the webmaster or site owner and request the image be removed. If you are unable to contact the website owner or need to expedite the process, Yahoo offers a Yahoo Search Content Removal Tool to report outdated or inappropriate content and request its removal from the search results.

Bing

As per google and Yahoo, contact the webmaster of the site where your image or content appears first. Failing that, they have a removal tool.

Duckduckgo

Unlike other search engines, because of the way their results are sourced (mainly from Bing), DuckDuckGo does not have a specific removal tool, so the only way to get the image removed from search results is to ensure it's taken down from the hosting site. I highly recommend Duckduckgo since, unlike google and co, it doesn't track you and it is designed to protect our privacy.

Reverse Image Search Engines and Facial Recognition Like Pimeyes

Pimeyes and other reverse image search and facial recognition tools hold databases of millions of images which are then "fingerprinted" by their algorithm. The exact measurements and proportions of faces are encoded in such a way that you can upload a picture of someone's face, and it will return results showing the closest matches. These can be scarily accurate. A client could take your face picture from an ad and it will show him pics of you at your tenth birthday party from your mum's Facebook or from the background of some tourists' pictures where you were walking past with your head half turned 200 metres away in the background.

You can get yourself removed case by case via their manual exclusion process or opt-out altogether.

They require a current selfie and identity document (with sensitive information hidden).

WHOIS

If you can't find an email address on the site you want to contact, or by simply googling the name of the site and the words "contact email", about a takedown request, try doing a WHOIS Search. Just copy and paste the domain name into the search field and in some cases it will give you a contact email.

Cloudflare

A lot of sites use Cloudflare which will obsure their contact details from Whois searches. In this case, if you do a Whois search and you see that they're using Cloudflare, you can submit an abuse report to Cloudflare.

WHOIS Hosting

It's a good idea to CC in the contact email of the hosting provider of the website your issuing a takedown request to. You can often find out who their hosting is with using a WHOIS Hosting lookup tool. eg Hosting Checker. Publishing non consensual intimate media and then ignoring takedown requests is a big no no and puts their site in breach of all sorts of national and international regulations. Some sites just don't care but if they think their hosting provider might terminate their agreement and force them to rebuild their site somewhere else, that's an excellent additional incentive to get off their arses and action your takedown request.

GDPR

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a comprehensive data privacy law in the European Union that aims to protect individuals' personal data and privacy. In the context of websites hosting non-consensual intimate media (NCIM), GDPR plays a significant role because such media often contains personal data, like images or videos revealing someone's identity without their consent. GDPR requires websites to have a lawful basis for processing personal data, which is not present in cases of NCIM since it violates privacy and consent. Affected individuals have rights under GDPR to demand the removal of their data (including intimate media), report violations, and pursue legal action against websites that fail to comply, potentially resulting in significant fines and penalties for the violators.

DMCA

In the United States, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is often used in situations involving non-consensual intimate media (NCIM), although its primary purpose is to address copyright infringement. The DMCA allows individuals to request the removal of content from websites if they own the copyright to the material, which can sometimes apply to NCIM cases if the person depicted took the photos or videos themselves. However, the DMCA does not specifically address privacy or consent issues, so its application to NCIM is limited to cases where copyright ownership is clear. For broader protections, U.S. states have enacted "revenge porn" laws that specifically criminalize the distribution of intimate media without consent, and these laws provide a more direct legal remedy for victims by allowing them to pursue criminal charges or civil claims against individuals or platforms hosting such content.

Revenge Porn Laws

It's worth mentioning the words "Revenge Porn" somewhere in your takedown request as an email with these words included may put the fear of litigation into their legal department more so than without. Revenge porn laws are designed to criminalize the sharing of non-consensual intimate media, typically distributed to harm or embarrass someone. In the U.S., these laws vary significantly by state, with most making it a criminal offense to distribute explicit images or videos without consent, allowing victims to pursue both criminal charges and civil damages. However, the absence of a comprehensive federal law creates inconsistencies across states. In the UK, the distribution of revenge porn is a criminal offense under the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, which specifically targets the sharing of private, sexual photos or films without consent. Similarly, in the EU, various countries have implemented national laws to address revenge porn specifically and mentioning whichever law is relevant to your location and/or the location where the website is based could help to light a fire under them.

Watermarks

Watermarking your images is a good way to prevent people from stealing them and using them for nefarious purposes eg deposit scammers.

If you have your own personal website, I highly recommend putting your logo, including your website URL on as a large, semi transparent watermark on all your images.

GIMP is excellent, free software that can be used to easily achieve this.

Standard Email Formats

If you can't find the contact email for a website, here are some common email formats you can try based on the domain name (replace "websitename.com" with the actual domain):

1. [email protected]
2. [email protected]
3. [email protected]
4. [email protected]
5. [email protected]
6. [email protected]
7. [email protected]
8. [email protected]
9. [email protected]
10. [email protected] (or "inquiries" for US spelling)
11. [email protected]
12. [email protected]
13. [email protected]
14. [email protected]
15. [email protected]

These are standard formats. CC them all in and at least one of them might connect you with the correct person or department on the site.

Sex Worker Search is a Search Engine, Not a Scraper Site, But Please Contact Me Anytime to Remove Your Site from Search Results

A scraper site, extracts ads and images to create their own directory listings by re-using other sites' ad copy and images.

Sex Worker Search doesn't have any directory listings, doesn't contain any ad copy and doesn't display images.

Sex Worker search only displays site titles and taglines with the URLs of independent sex worker websites.

In the same way that Google, Bing, Yahoo and Duckduckgo index websites in their search results, that's what Sex Worker Search does.

ie SWS is a search engine. Not a directory.

Removing Your Site From Sex Worker Search Index

If you've retired, or you're on hiatus, or if for any reason you decide you don't want your site to be indexed in search results on Sex Worker Search any more, please send me an email anytime and I'll happily remove your website from search results. It will only ever take me up to one day to do this. Usually I'll get it done almost instantly.

Takedown Request Template

Subject: Takedown Request: Unauthorized Use of My Personal Information and Images

Dear [Website/Platform Name] Abuse Team,

I am writing to formally request the immediate removal of a profile on your website (link: [Insert URL of the profile here]) which contains my personal information and images, uploaded and published without my consent. This action violates multiple legal standards, including but not limited to the GDPR, DMCA, and laws surrounding non-consensual pornography (commonly known as "revenge porn").

Grounds for Takedown:

1. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
   As a resident of the [insert your country/region], I am protected by the GDPR, which mandates that my personal data, including any information and images that identify me, may not be published or distributed without my explicit consent. The profile on your site breaches GDPR Articles 6 and 9, which outline conditions for lawful data processing, as no consent was provided for the use of my personal data.
2. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
   The images included in the profile are my intellectual property and are used without my permission. Under the DMCA, I request that you remove all unauthorized copies of these images immediately. Please consider this letter as a formal DMCA takedown notice.

• Description of copyrighted work: The unauthorized images are identifiable as photographs of me, depicted in a manner that infringes upon my copyright.
• Location of infringing material: [Insert URL of the profile/page where the images appear]

3. Non-Consensual Pornography / Revenge Porn Laws
   The images and information being shared without my consent are of a sensitive and explicit nature. In accordance with [insert relevant revenge porn or non-consensual pornography laws in your country/region], sharing these materials without my explicit consent is illegal. The unauthorized distribution of this content constitutes a violation of my privacy and is a form of harassment.

Request for Immediate Action

I request that you:

• Remove all images, content, and any personal information related to me from your website immediately.
• Confirm in writing that this has been done and that no further distribution of the content will occur.
• Provide information about the uploader of the content and any actions taken against their account, if applicable.

I trust that you will take immediate action to comply with this request. Failure to act promptly may result in me pursuing further legal action.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this serious matter.

Sincerely,

Someone on reddit asked me how to build a website so that they can then get their own site indexed here on Sex Worker Search.

I'm no expert on web design but I know someone who is.

Josey from Lovesudo is a web design genius. Highly recommended. Josey is honest, reliable, hard working and committed to helping sex workers to own personal websites.

She's obsessed with security and privacy and genuinely extremely invested in working to achieve goals that will benefit sex workers.

My thoughts on the subject, which I shared when asked in reddit =

Buying a domain name is easy enough. eg on namecheap.

Then you'll need hosting eg Digital Ocean and then you need a website eg by spinning up WordPress using Spinupwp.

Then choose a theme.

Then look at other people's sites and figure out what menu items, text and images you want eg by searching here on Sex Worker Search.

Do not let any webmaster or Web designer own your domain name or pay for your hosting on your behalf.

Buy the domain and hosting yourself and anonymise your details for domain ownership so people can't look you up with whois.

You don't want anyone else to own your site. You want to be able to easily fire and re-hire. Not have your site hijacked by someone who overcharges and or under delivers.

Make sure your website says at least which country you're in and preferably a state and city. Weirdly a lot of people forget to say where in the world they are on their websites. I recommend having your location in your site title and or tagline and meta description so it's top and centre of every page. Otherwise some clients will land, spend literally 2 seconds looking for your location, not find it and bounce to look at someone else's site instead.

Same for gallery, rates and contact details. If clients can't find these in 2 seconds, you're losing business from people who lose patience and bounce. So you don't want your rates to be called considerations or remuneration or anything other than "rates" and you don't want rates hidden halfway down some other page, you want a menu item clearly labelled "rates" which goes to a page which clearly states your rates.

If you have a blog page and you post unique content on there using the kind of words you want to rank for on Google and that content is appealing enough that people will read it from start to finish, then the more you post, the higher you will rank on Google and when you're page 1 for a term like "cuckolding male escort London" or whatever term describes you and or your niche services and your location, then you won't need directory ads any more and you can probably afford to set your rates way higher than someone who relies on directory ads alone.

Good luck! Let me know if/when you have your site if you want it indexed on Sex Worker Search.

Cover image thanks to Midjourney AI. 

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This is a work in progress based on the How-to Get Started as a Sexworker FAQ I wrote for the /r/sexworkers subreddit. I'll continue to add more subheadings here and hopefully build this into a useful resource.

Agencies

When someone contacts you saying they represent an agency, assume that they are lying. Don't proceed until you've verified that they do in fact represent that agency. eg Ask for the website and then contact the agency on the number listed on the site and ask them to confirm that the person who contacted you is genuine. If they make some excuse why they don't have a website, it's a scam.

If you find an agency and you're thinking of applying, search for the name of the agency on reddit. Failing that, contact an established independent sexworker from that location. Eg someone who has their own website and social media with a lot of followers who's been around for many years. Ask them if they have heard of the agency and would they recommend it.

A legit agency makes their money from commissions. Usually 30% of the fee. So they would arrange the date, you meet the client, the client pays you cash. Then you pay the agency their commission afterwards.

If they try to get you to agree to anything that doesn't resemble the above. Eg they expect you to pay them their commission before the date occurs. Or they tell you the client pays the agency and then the agency pays you after the session, it's a scam.

The lower the average rates on an agency site compared to the average rate for that location for an independent the more likely it is that some kind of coercion or exploitation is involved if not outright trafficking.

If they want you to pay any registration fee or a monthly fee or any kind of payment at all, including payment for their photographer, it's a scam.

They might want you to use a photo set on your listing that you don't use elsewhere. But there should be the option to choose your own photographer.

In the UK, and as far as I know everywhere else, agencies wanting you to be exclusive to them would be the exception. Most agencies are happy for you to also advertise independently and with other agencies but will obviously not want you to give your direct number to clients they send you.

If they want to interview you, meet them somewhere public like a bar or café. Don't go anywhere in private. A legit agency won't ask you to get naked or do any kind of "audition" before they'll list you.

Camming and Selling Content

Thanks to /u/HereFortheFood954 for the following =

check out r/sellercirclestage, r/onlyfansadvice, and r/camgirlproblems. They are more specialized in their respective areas of sex work and offer "how to get started" guides which are linked below:

Getting started selling content on Reddit guide:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SellerCircleStage/comments/g9nc8x/feeling_overwhelmed_and_looking_for_help_read_here/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

Getting started camming guide:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CamGirlProblems/comments/f8ai7l/a_beginners_guide_to_camming/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

Getting started selling on Onlyfans guide - here are a few guides specifically for Onlyfans as that area of sex work seems to be one of the most popular asked about on this sub:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SexWorkers/comments/ikboug/i_wrote_a_how_to_guide_for_onlyfans_and_online/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

https://www.reddit.com/r/SexWorkers/comments/gxao1k/found_this_very_detailed_onlyfans_guide_for_those/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

https://www.reddit.com/r/SexWorkers/comments/keghnl/i_made_a_new_little_guide_for_current_and/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

A master list of all the NSFW subreddits: https://reddit.com/r/ListOfSubreddits/w/nsfw?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app

For those wanting more information on stripping, check out r/stripper. Again, please read their sub rules before interacting, you must be a current dancer to post but you can read through the feed.

Last, for those that don't know what to charge for an online service, check out r/sexsells to see what the average price is for what you want to offer. No one can tell you what to charge for your services, that's up to you and the market.

Thanks also to /u/MissFaithRae for sharing her Wiki.

My understanding of the most popular content selling site, Onlyfans, is that they do nothing to promote sellers so if you don't already have a large social media following of people who might want to pay for your content, then it's going to be very difficult to make any money on onlyfans. Also if they find out you are an escort, they'll ban you and steal any credits they owe you. I will never register there for this reason. If a company that profits from sexwork is openly and hypocritically anti sexwork, they're not getting a share of my income.

Cash Up Front

Always get cash up front.

Never provide services first and ask for cash later.

You can make a note of this requirement on your website or ad.

In USA it's common to require that clients put the cash in an envelope and have the envelope somewhere pre-arranged or placed in plain sight rather than handing over the cash.

Some providers count the cash in front of the client. Others send their client to the bathroom or excuse themselves to the bathroom and count the cash out of sight.

After you've confirmed the amount and checked for fake bills, put the money away out of the way. Preferably don't let the client see where you put it.

If you leave cash out, there's the risk they could take it back when they leave.

Watch out for the possibility of a client switching the envelope. ie Paying with an envelope of genuine cash and then later swapping the envelope for another full of cash sized paper.

Contact Details 

It's up to you which contact methods you prefer.

Some providers are happy to communicate via phonecall, txt/sms message, social media messages, whatsapp, telegram, signal, email and contact forms.

Other providers feel that one or more of these contact methods attracts too many timewasters and choose to limit their contact options.

The more contact options you offer, the more potential clients can reach you.

Fewer options, means fewer clients.

So if you are already reaching your financial targets, maybe remove a few of your least favourite contact methods.

Otherwise, I suggest, list them all. Then if someone contacts you and doesn't immediately get to the point about where and when they want to meet, send them a copy and paste message you have saved in your autoreplies or in your notes app telling them to go look at your website and come back when they're ready to book an appointment. Use the copy and paste to tell them exactly what info they need to send to book an appointment. How to screen. How to pay a deposit. And/or give them the option to pay you for a chat session and give them options how to pay you for chat.

eg. this is my copy and paste message =

"Hi,

Thanks for your message.

Please read my about page, rates etc and see my gallery on XXXX.XXX (my website).

When you're ready to book an appointment, please let me know which day and what time suits you and whether you would like an incall or outcall.

Then I'll ask you to send a £50 deposit.

Via UK bank transfer to my business account.

Sort code: XXXXXX Account number: XXXXXXX

Or, If you just want to chat, please send me £50 by bank transfer or cashapp or email me a £50 gift voucher for Selfridges or John Lewis and I'll chat to you for 20 minutes."

If you list a contact number, remember to include the country code. eg +1 for USA or +44 for UK. Not everyone who contacts you will be using a phone with the same country code as you.

If you only accept calls and sms and have no other contact options, you're losing a lot of business. Whatsapp is especially popular. Depending on which country you're in the majority of clients will want to use it and will not call or txt if you don't have it. Message apps like whatsapp do attract a lot of time wasters. I recommend using them but be quick to send a copy and paste, as I mentioned earlier.

The internal messaging forms on directories are often broken and if contact details are hidden behind buttons that need a captcha, sometimes these are either broken or require more effort than some clients can be bothered expending to reach you. I highly recommend not relying solely on these. If the directory lets you list your contact details in plain text, do it.

If you have a contact form on your website, make sure it works. And be aware that if that is the only contact option you offer, the majority of clients who click through to your contact page and see the contact form will immediately close the page and go look for someone else who is easier to get in contact with. A contact form is the best form of contact for deterring timewasters but it will also deter a lot of genuine clients.

Counterfeit Money

Watch out for fake bills. Especially if you're in  country that uses paper money.

Here's a guide to detecting fake money in USA.

Here's the Bank of England guide to detecting fake notes in the UK.

Deposits

Some do, some don't. A deposit could be anything up to about 50% of your rate. The advantage of asking for a deposit is that guys who have paid a deposit are much more likely to actually show up to their appointment. If they've paid a deposit and don't show up, at least you have some compensation for time you wasted getting ready and for holding that timeslot which another genuine client might have wanted. The disadvantage is that you might be perceived as a scammer. Especially if you've just started out and have only one or a few directory ads and no personal website or history of social media posts and reviews. Then it might look like you're catfishing using a fake ad just to pocket the deposits. An alternative to a deposit for an outcall is to make the client book and pay for a taxi to pick you up from your address and take you to theirs. And for incalls if they've booked a day or more in advance, if you message them on the morning of the day they're due to see you and ask "are you definitely coming to see me today?" the timewasters usually won't reply.

Directories

Which directories to use depends on your location. Searching the web for the words "escort directory" plus the name of your location will return a list of hundreds of directories but the top results are not necessarily the ones that will get you clients. Just because a directory appears to have a lot of escorts listed for your location, doesn't mean it's any good. It is common for new directories to scrape other directories and harvest pictures and bios of escorts to list on their directory long before any real escorts or clients start using their site.

I recommend you search the web for "independent escort" plus the name of your location and scroll down past all the directories until you find an independent escort who has their own website. Chances are, if that escort has managed to get their own site that high up in search results, they are well established and successful and have ads on the best directories for your location. Go to their site and copy and paste their mobile number into a new search. The directories that appear in that search are more likely to be the ones where you want to advertise. Especially if that escort has a paid ad on there. Copy and paste the names of those directories into a search of this subreddit and check what other sexworkers have said about it. If the directory seems to be well regarded, then post an ad there.

Face in, or face out

Some percentage of clients will only see escorts who show their faces in ads so blurring or cropping or altering your pics in some way to conceal your face will mean that you don't get those clients but it is absolutely possible to make a lot of money as an escort without showing your face in your ads. Whether you do or don't is your decision to make. Argument for = you'll get more clients. Argument against = once your face pics are on the internet, they could stay there forever and prove impossible to remove. Facial recognition and reverse image search technology is already highly advanced and in future who knows what this technology will be like.

Filming Without Consent/ Hidden Cameras

Watch out for devices pointing toward the bed. It could be a phone propped up and recording or it could be something less obvious like a clock radio, key fob or phone charger with a camera lens built in.

If it's designed to work in low light, the camera will emit infra red which you can usually detect easily in a dimly lit room just be switching on your phone camera and scanning around the room. You can test this yourself on your TV remote. You probably won't be able to see the IR from your remote by eye but you'll be able to see it with your phone camera. See this article for details.

If you do find a camera pointing at you, I recommend you pick up your phone and talk to your security buddy. Or pretend to if you don't have one. Say "this guy is filming me without consent, you know where I am and you know what to do." Then get dressed, take the camera and leave. If the client attempts to stop you, say "my security will be here in a minute. If you try to stop me leaving, this is going to go badly for you."

Kissing

If kissing or any other service makes you uncomfortable, you'll be better off in the long term not offering it. Forcing yourself to do something you hate isn't sustainable.

Male escorts

There is a market for male escorts, if you're ok with male clients. If you're straight and not ok with male clients, then no. Women clients do exist but they'll tend to choose the most professional looking male escort they can find. Someone with his own website, paid ads on plenty of reputable directories, frequently updated social media with a lot of followers, professionally taken and retouched pics, a long history of good reviews and a friends page with duo partners who also list him on their friends pages. If you don't see male clients, you'll never fit the description above so it's unlikely you'll ever get a woman client. Even after you've been seeing male clients for years and you establish a web presence like the one I described above, you'll still only see a few women clients per year. Nowhere near enough to earn a living. There just aren't that many women clients out there. Anywhere you can make an escort ad cheap or for free, you'll find thousands of "straight male escort" ads with a mirror selfie and/or a close-up shot of their cock, and a few lines of crude often misspelled and grammatically incorrect Borat style lines of text where that one ad is that guys entire web presence. I'd estimate that approximately none of those guys ever get one single paying client. But if you are gay, or bi or gay for pay and willing to work very hard all day every day on promoting yourself, then it's entirely possible to be successful as a male escort.

You don't need to be gay. Many male escorts consider themselves gay for pay rather than bi in that they're happy to have sex with men for money but wouldn't do so for free. Whether that's something you want to do or not is up to you.

In order to top you'll need to be able to get hard, stay hard and ideally cum when a client wants you to cum. I find a quarter, or even one eighth of a viagra an hour or half an hour before a job makes all of the above happen easily. The more pressure you're under, the less likely you are to be able to stay hard. So if you are not in a desperate situation financially, you have no addictions, debts, needy relatives etc and so you can either accept any given job, or not, then you'll probably find you can top. If you're addicted to drugs and desperate for the money, you probably won't be able to top.

Bottoming isn't for everyone but if you are going to bottom, I highly recommend douching before. Let me know if you'd like a guide to anal douching, I can send details but basically just water in via an anal douche or shower hose and push the water out into the toilet or down the shower drain, rinse and repeat as necessary until the water comes out clean. Water will open you up enough and you'll be more relaxed knowing you're not going to shit all over your client. Just use plenty of lube and start slow.

If you advertise as a male escort you're going to get a lot of requests for bareback. Always use condoms. Never bareback. Even if you're on PREP and/or the client says they're on PREP, there are plenty of STIs other than HIV that you don't want. Even if they offer a copy of a clear STI test. These infections all have window periods. Please don't take my word for this. I'm not a medical professional. Research via a reliable online source (eg in UK I use NHS website) talk to your GP or visit a sexual health clinic.

More info for getting started as a male escort = https://ozinlondon.co.uk/how-to-get-started-as-a-male-sexworker/

Money up front

Always get cash up front. You might also want to ask for a deposit prior to meeting.

Payments other than cash

I'm no expert on the ones USA sexworkers use but from other people's recommendations it looks like cashapp is popular. Also venmo. Some say PayPal but only if its sent as a gift with nothing sex work related in the comment and clients will see your real name. Beware of the possibility that clients could dispute a paypal payment and get their payment reversed. In UK I get regulars to pay me by bank transfer for fly me to you deposits. I take payments for video chat on WhatsApp and for custom made videos via Fortnum and Mason or John Lewis vouchers. I used to accept Amazon UK vouchers but they're not ideal as there's usually a delay of up to one day before I receive them and if its for an amazon voucher worth more than £50 their bank often blocks the transaction. Bitcoin or other crypto currency would seem like an ideal way to accept payments but in my experience, clients perceive this as too complicated. I'm in the process of figuring out how to set up woocommerce on my site so I can accept payments directly and a digitalocean space CDN to store my media and amazon cloud front for delivery.

Photoshoots

There's a huge price range of professional photoshoots out there. You can get quite a cheap shoot eg from one of the coupon sites or apps and get them retouched via a crowdsourcing site like fiverr. Or pay thousands for a top photographer and rent a 5 star hotel suite for the shoot location. And everything in between.

Ring lights are also popular and not expensive. It's a tripod with a clip that will hold any phone and comes with a ring shaped light that can cast an adjustable light on you and they usually come with a Bluetooth remote that you can pair with your phone so you can take multiple pics in different poses without running backwards and forwards to press the camera button on a timer. If you look at other people's pics for ideas for poses and get some good poses and angles with good lighting and the camera held steady on the tripod you can get some decent pics that way especially with the top of the range new phones.

There are a lot of "photographers" who will contact you offering cheap, or free, photoshoots. Especially if they can see that you're new. I don't know anyone who's accepted one of these offers but I'm guessing if you did accept a free shoot from some guy with a camera calling himself a photographer, you'd most likely get a few poor shots taken from someone who has no idea what they're doing and something other than photography on their mind.

Rates

Nobody can tell you how much you should charge. You might want to charge ten times higher than the average rate for your area and only see one client per month. Or you might want to charge one tenth of the average rate and see a dozen guys per day. But step one is to at least figure out what the average rate for your area is. I recommend you start by finding popular directories as per the first faq above, then try to refine a search of that directory so you see results matching other escorts who appear similar to how you plan to promote yourself. Look at as many ads as possible, from a number of different directories, that are as similar as possible to your own intended escort persona, and figure out what the average rate is from there. One thing I would recommend is that you decide on rates you are happy with, list those rates on your ad and don't allow anyone to haggle. There is an alternate approach which is to not list rates and then negotiate with each guy who contacts you to try and set an appointment at a rate they are willing to pay. Even if this does generate more business, I think this is a good way to quickly burn out. Having people haggle with you is very unpleasant and the kind of guys who want to haggle are likely to be disrespectful in other ways. I would never operate my business this way and highly recommend listing your rates and sticking to them.

Regulars

Ask them during a session if it's ok to contact them sometimes. If they say yes, save something in their contact name to remind you eg "Dave incall tie and tease ok to contact".

If they haven't agreed to receive messages from you, I recommend you don't message them. It's not discreet. Their wife or child or their boss could be looking over their shoulder.

** What Can I do to Keep My Regulars Coming Back More Often**

Save every client you meet as a contact on your phone. Install whatsapp, telegram and signal. Post a whatsapp status every day that a client would enjoy seeing. If they're a saved contact and they've saved you as a contact they can see your whatsapp statuses. This keeps regulars coming back more often.

If you think it's a worthwhile use of your time and they've agreed to receive messages from you, message them sometimes with something you saw or heard or did that reminds you of something they said or a pic or a link or a joke or whatever that you think they'd like. When they respond, steer the conversation toward getting them to set a day and time to see you again.

Screening

/u/PhoenixxVIP kindly agreed to have the r/heauxs Safety and Screening wiki posts linked here. If you'd like to know more about blacklists and databases, please message a moderator or someone with an escort flair and ask them via private message. If we can see from your post history that you are a sexworker most of us will happily share details of these screening resources. Otherwise we might ask you for some proof that you're a sexworker eg an email sent from your work mail so we can search to see if your ads come up. What we want to avoid is publicly sharing resources that could be used by those seeking to circumvent our security.

Securing your identity

My number one recommendation here is don't use the same device for work and personal. Buy a second mobile phone as a work phone and never use your work phone for anything personal / never use your personal phone for anything work related. If you add your clients to a contact list on your personal phone where you also have your friends and family listed as contacts then use that phone to register for work related site like directories, make work related social media accounts etc and then use that same phone to log in to personal sites and apps eg your personal facebook, it's just a matter of time before you get outed as an escort to your personal contacts. Social media apps like facebook especially like to access your contacts list and spy on what you're doing in other apps and on other sites. If you mix work and personal on one device, facebook, twitter, instagram etc will happily recommend your escort page as a friend for your family members.

Make a work email. I recommend protonmail. Never use your personal number or personal email to register for anything work related. You probably don't want your clients to be able to search the web for your number and find your real name, personal social media etc. You probably also don't want your friends and family to search the web for your number and find all your escort ads. If you use the same laptop for work and personal, at least use two browsers. I use chrome incognito plus ublock origin, privacy badger, decentraleyes and https everywhere plugins for work with proton vpn. And I use vivaldi for personal.

Beware of exif data and geotagging of photos. You should be able to switch off geotagging in your phone settings to avoid accidentally sharing the gps coordinates of your exact location and there are plenty of online, desktop and app tools for removing exif data from pics.

Consider using a VPN. I use proton VPN. Especially when using public unsecured WiFi eg in hotels. Also handy when on tour in places that block access to websites you need for work eg UAE and China.

Shadowbans on Social Media

It's best not to put a direct link to your website in your twitter or instagram bio or you're likely to get banned or shadowbanned. Safer to set up a link aggregator like linktree, put your website link and other links there and then add that link to your bios. Also best not to put any links in the text of tweets or instagram posts. As per https://twitter.com/sexworkceo/status/1644054625337724929 twitter treats all links it doesn't recognise as reputable news sources as spam and suppresses those tweets. I've been adding text overlay to my images using the image editor built into the gallery app on my phone to display links instead of sharing actual links in tweets. I'm still shadowbanned on twitter and instagram anyway.

Technical and Cyber Security resources for Sex Workers

This list https://heystacks.com/doc/718/technical-resources-for-sex-workers has some excellent resources. Do your own research before adopting any of the recommendations as some may be out of date eg they still have switter on there which unfortunately doesn't exist any more.

Timewasters

A timewaster is someone who contacts escorts pretending they're interested in booking an appointment who in fact has no intention of ever showing up to said appointment. They want you to entertain them for free on the phone or by exchanging messages or pictures. If someone contacts you and they get straight to the point about where and when they want to meet and they don't try to chat or ask for pictures, they're more likely to be genuine. If they don't mention a day, time or location and seem reluctant to discuss these details but excited about asking you for explicit details about yourself or your services, they're probably just wanking. In which case I recommend offering the option to pay for a chat session. eg "which day and what time would you like to see me? Do you want an incall or an outcall?" "or if you just want to chat please send $x and I'll chat to you for x minutes."

Virginity

Sites claiming to facilitate sales of virginity are all scams as far as I know. Search the sexworkers subreddit for the word "virginity" to see other threads on the subject. If you mention any kind of youth or inexperience in an escort ad, especially virginity, you'll attract a variety of scumbags who do not have your best interests at heart. All manner of timewasters, hagglers, boundary pushers and much worse will see you as a vulnerable target.

Website

Having your own personal website is the best way to promote yourself. It shows you're established, genuine and professional. It's cheap and easy to buy a domain name and hosting and build a site on a site builder eg wordpress. If you need help, there are plenty of skilled professionals you can pay to help you. I recommend you pay directly for your own domain name and hosting. Don't let a webmaster register your domain and hosting in their own name. Your website is going to be very precious to you and you'll want to own it and have freedom to edit it yourself, move the hosting, and do whatever you like without a webmaster holding your site to ransom. If you pay someone to help with your site and they prove to be unreliable or incompetent, you'll want to be able to discontinue paying them and find someone else to do the work instead. Much easier to do this if you own your domain and hosting. The best SEO to get your site to rise up in the search results is to post unique, quality content that people enjoy reading regularly on a blog page on your site using the kinds of keywords in the posts that people will search for when they want an escort like you.

Buy a domain name and hosting, install WordPress on your hosting and DIY Web design from templates or get help from web designers if necessary.

Your landing page needs to be appealing enough to capture the attention of a client instantly or the majority will bounce within a few seconds. Big sexy picture background and enticing tag line that makes it clear where you're located and how to contact you.

Your contact details need to be top and centre on your website where anyone can find them within one second of opening your page. Less contact details means less clients. eg if you only have a contact form and no number or email, that means fewer clients.

Call your rates page "rates", your contact page "contact", gallery, blog, reviews etc. If you call your rates "consideration" or some other code word, some percentage of clients will think hmm I'd like to meet her but I can't find her rates, and they'll bounce. Don't underestimate how short their attention span is or how obvious everything needs to be for them to find it.

Add a blog page to your site and post on it at least once a week writing unique content that your target audience will enjoy reading using keywords they'll use to find your site. Your location is your most important keyword. Use it in your site title, tag line, meta description, on every page of your site and in every blog post. And the word escort. Not courtesan or provider or muse or geisha or anything like that. Escort. That's what clients will search for in a search engine. Other key words will relate to whatever services you specialise in, anything defining about your look or style or personality that can be described in one word that a client might key into a search engine.

/u/madametoska has built a free website template on WordPress that’s prebuilt, as well as an SEO guide. https://ruby-moss-d82.notion.site/The-SWer-digital-kit-f8e9e29cf6dd49a0aefca106ee7d49ec

Cover image courtesy of Digital Meddle.

 

As the Sex Worker Search library of indexed websites has grown, some interesting patterns have begun to emerge in the data.

We sex workers who own our own websites are a relatively small and close knit community so it is inevitable that trends occur. Words and phrases that commonly appear on our websites come into, and go out of, fashion.

I have noticed certain recurring words and phrases and I thought it would be interesting to quantify these similarities.

So I used this word frequency analysis tool that allows you to detect the frequency of occurrence of individual words, and also phrases, and sort them in order of most commonly used.

By inputting all 450,850 words of text from all of the descriptions from all 5000 sex worker websites that Sex Worker Search has indexed so far, I discovered that the most commonly used noun on our websites is... "Love!"

Awww. That's really sweet. (sweet is about the 20th most popular word overall and the 6th most popular adjective after sensual, fun, good, sexy and soft.

I noticed the word "muse" is hugely popular. I don't remember this being the case 10 years ago when I was reading a lot of other people's sites seeking inspiration to write my own about page. I guess "muse" is a recent phenomenon. I like it. I'm incredible at what I do as a sex worker. I'm not sure I've ever inspired anyone to create a work of art in my honour, but if I did, that would be awesome 🙂

As an experiment, I asked Chat GPT to create an introductory description for someone working as an entertainer and companion (if I'd said "sex worker" I would have had my request rejected) outlining their skills, attributes, admirable qualities and what they have to offer clients using the top 100 most popular words and the top 100 three word phrases.

This is what Chat GPT came up with =

"Hello there! I'm your sweet and sexy muse. I am a down-to-earth companion and entertainer, and my name is Chloe. My friends describe me as "fun" and "bubbly". I love to make people feel relaxed, so our time together will be an enjoyable escape from the hustle and bustle of life.

I am the "girl next door" you've been looking for, with a warm and open-minded personality that you will find inviting. If you are looking for someone to share some of life's finer things with, I am here to help you indulge in the experiences you desire.

I take pride in getting to know each other, creating a genuine connection, and making you feel comfortable and at ease in all the right places. My sense of humor will keep you smiling, and my sensual touch will leave you wanting more.

I specialize in providing companionship and entertainment, and I love what I do. Whether you want to explore the art of conversation, share some laughter, or enjoy the pleasures of life, I am here to make it happen.

If you're ready to experience the unique and unforgettable time that I offer, please visit my website for more information about what I do. I can't wait to hear from you and look forward to meeting you soon. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like to know more about me. Your satisfaction is my goal, and I am always here to make your desires a reality."

That's actually not bad. As far as the Turing test goes, if I read that description on a sex worker's website, it would never occur to me that it looked like it was written by AI. It is a bit bland and some of the phrases do fit together somewhat awkwardly. There's no mention of where in the world Chloe is. It only hints at the fact that she's a sex worker with no mention of any specific services. I can't really fault this introduction for the latter as the majority of sex worker sites are in USA where sex work is still illegal so people there do tend to be extremely circumspect about disclosing the actual nature of their work. With good reason. To avoid self incrimination. So, vague and euphemistic introductions are not that unusual. If it had "based in x city, x country" in the first sentence, I'd rate this a 6 out of 10.

Some of the text I've read on people's websites is a work of art. We have some real wordsmiths in our midst. The trend is definitely toward the baroque. I think somewhat florid prose is expected as the norm in a sex worker site description. I've seen this approach used to great effect on some sites and on others the words seem to have taken over the entire site and it's just difficult or impossible to determine where in the world that sex worker is, what their rates are, or how to contact them. The best sites really convey the heartfelt passion and enthusiasm many of us feel for our work and the great pride we take in being outstanding in the fields of our expertise.

Chat GPT's effort falls somewhere in the middle in my opinion. If that description was accompanied by a tagline above it saying a location (at least a city and country) and a menu linking to clearly marked rates page and contact page, then it's actually more than adequate but not in the same league (yet) as some of the best writing I've seen on sex worker websites.

Displaying snippets such as a meta description from a website in search results on a search engine has always been considered fair use. Without search engines there would be no internet as we know it. The source of the titles and descriptions displayed in search results is clear so the owner of the written content is always credited via their name or business name appearing in the title and there is always a link to their website.

Sex Worker Search now has around 5,000 websites indexed all belonging to independent sex workers.

Each site indexed is displayed in search results as a URL, name, title, tagline and brief description.

Every website has meta data which tells search engines how the owner of the site wants search results to display their URL, name, title and so on.

Sex Worker Search doesn't list anything more than other search engines like Google, Bing and Duckduckgo. There are no profiles and no pictures. Clicking on any website indexed in SWS search results takes you directly to that website. This is how SWS differs from an escort directory. When you click on an escort on a directory, it takes you to their profile page with their description, pictures, rates and contact details. You stay on the directory. When you click on  search result on a search engine, you leave the search engine and go to the website owned by the person described in that search result.

Each website is unique and each sex worker has communicated via their own website in their own way their skills, attributes, qualities, personality, physical traits, speciality services and what they have to offer to clients.

Sex Worker Search will never display search results against the wishes of the owner of a website. If anyone contacts me asking me to change how their website appears, eg change the title, tagline or description, or asks me to remove their website from search results entirely, I will do so immediately. I will be checking for dead links and manually removing websites that no longer exist from search results. In future I'm planning to find a solution that allows me to synchronise how the search results appear with edits to the actual websites on request. So if someone wanted to make use of this feature, they'd be able to change their title on their own website, eg from "Your Sweet And Sexy Muse in Miami, Florida" to "Your Sweet And Sexy Muse Now on Tour in London, UK" and that change on their website would automatically propagate onto their search listing. It's still early days but this feature and more are in development.

It's very important to me that Sex Worker Search be a force for good within the sex worker community. I want to operate this search engine legally, ethically and in a way that benefits all sex workers.

I would like to credit all 5,000 websites since I think crediting the authors where possible is the right thing to do when ethically using content to train a large language model. Currently the best way to see all 5,000 is via searches for Escort, Mistress, Sensual Masseuse, Tantric Masseuse and Professional Submissive.

This experiment, using AI to create an introduction using frequently used words and phrases from sex worker websites, has highlighted for me how sensitive the use of other people's content is. Some words and phrases are very popular. I don't think there's a lot of plagiarism happening and I don't think our introductions are cliched. I do think it's normal when starting out to read the websites of our more experienced and successful peers and get a feel for how a good introduction looks and to understand the conventions of the genre and I think that's fine too.

I do think my experiment constitutes fair use in that the owners of the original content are credited, nothing fake or misleading is being presented and the intention is to use the text in a way that benefits all sex workers by providing a template showing what the most popular words and phrases look like when they're all used in one imaginary introduction.

Please send me an email if you have any questions or comments. I would love to hear your feedback.