Control Over Negotiating Risk Reduction With Clients in Unsanctioned Indoor Sex Work Environments

“I like to do it [a sex work transaction] on my territory. You know that you’ve got people around you that you can count on. You can stop when you want to… . Out there you’re like a hostage almost. You feel almost that bad if you were out there. You’re going to settle, or you’re going to put yourself in a bad position maybe. If it’s not going good, you’re stuck, and that’s not a good feeling. You don’t want to be isolated, then you might be willing to hurt yourself in order to maybe get home. You maybe have to do extra things just so that you can get home, and that’s not cool.” (Participant 10)

“It doesn’t usually happen [that I go to a guy’s place] ’cause I’m at his disposal. I’m in his domain. Once the door closes, it’s just that. He’s got me cornered. That’s it. When I am in my room, it’s my house. I ask him how much. He tells you, or you tell him. I usually tell him, right? And then we go to our house. Do the date. He pays. Kick him out. [In the] back alley? Same thing. Do the date. Sometimes it doesn’t always work out though. Like I said, ’cause you’re vulnerable right? It can become very dangerous very, very quickly.” (Participant 27)

“Once you get into a guy’s house, they can just… . That’s it, you know. You don’t know where you’re gonna go. At a guy’s place, it’s more or less like, what he says you have to do, you know. Um. I guess you just go with uh, risk.” (Participant 25)