| Annie began working in the sex industry due to negative dating experiences, deciding it would be better to work as a sex worker and get paid to ‘have fun’ without the hassles of dating. She had largely positive experiences from her sex work and felt that in order to have a relationship she would have to find someone similarly ‘like-minded’ who was comfortable with her work. She did, however, believe that the stigma surrounding sex work was an issue providing an example of a friend who did not know she worked in the sex industry discussing the topic with her: |
Akina was born overseas and began working as a sex worker to save money to travel. When she arrived in Australia she once again began working in the sex industry but had not told any of her friends at home what she did for a living. She explained that sex work made her feel guilty and equated it to cheating. She thought there was a lot of stigma surrounding sex work but that this was worse in her country of birth than in Australia. She did not want to be with a man who would let her do sex work |
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She was like, ‘Oh my god, you’re the nicest person…’ but then again I wonder how she would feel, if I told her what I do, how she would then view me? You know she was saying that, you know ‘Prostitutes and strippers they wreck marriages’. |
…maybe I’m not really happy with the guy who can say it’s okay but it doesn’t really… if I really love him, I don’t know I’ve never really had a guy like that. I think I’ll be happier if the guy cares about me and then don’t do it. I want him to say no.’ |
| Annie did not feel the need to separate her work and personal lives and instead viewed her work as integrated with the rest of her life. |
Akina deliberately kept her personal life separate from her work life. |
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…like I say to my clients ‘You guys are all like my boyfriends without the headache’. |
…some of my friends who’s doing sex work, they gave the clients their number and sometimes they go to dinner or something, like ohhhh my god I can’t do it (laughs), yes, separate, I never want them to come into my private life. |
