The sex workers of Holland are on the verge of bankruptcy

The news agencies all over the world report that the global sex industry is in an unenviable position due to the coronavirus pandemic. In many countries, the services of the “priestesses of love” are legal, and the workers of this industry pay taxes on time, unite in trade unions, and work on the basis of self-employment.

Quarantine and preventive measures against coronavirus, taken by governments of different countries, put the sex industry on the verge of bankruptcy. For example, the popular Red Light District in Amsterdam was closed on March 15 by a decision of the leadership of the Netherlands (together with other cultural and entertainment venues).

Bars, restaurants and cafes can survive three weeks of quarantine by creating their own delivery services and hoping for the assistance, promised by the state to help small businesses. Sex workers found themselves without a livelihood, since the customers prefer abstinence because of the fear of possible infection, and there is no regular income or opportunity to go on paid leave for them.

As a result, the PROUD union, which includes sex workers, organized the collection of donations through a special Dutche Mergency Fund’s website to help people in distress.

For the moment, more than € 6.4 thousand has been raised. The organizers of the event plan to disburse the funds in the amount of € 40 to the neediest people. Similar ways of mutual assistance through the creation of such funds are implemented by the relevant organizations in Spain and Norway.

Representatives of the sex industry are forced to reconsider their usual forms of work and approach to business in the face of the threat of Covid-19, for example, to go outside, because they cannot pay the rental of premises where they used to receive clients. This increases competition and leads to price dumping by the street sex workers, who have already experienced a global collapse in demand. Those, who continue to serve customers in the apartments, force the visitors to measure temperature, take a hot shower and use disinfection facilities. According to the Green Light Project organization, whose representatives are engaged in social work with sex workers, there are many cases, when customers behave aggressively, trying to bring down the prices.

In the United States, where the main client segment is represented by people over 60 years old, many customers refuse from the sexual services.

The difficulties, in which the sex industry has found itself, are forcing people to search for other ways of profitability. Alternative opportunities for the sex workers are online services and webcams. In some cases, the service of masseuse provide greater income stability.

Many representatives of the ancient profession are considering the possibility of doing porn business. There are not so many cases of complete departure from the profession. Those, who have accumulated financial savings, prefer to temporarily stop working. In some cases, visits to homes and hotels, where wealthy clients live, are practiced.

In Stuttgart, where the American soldiers were the main source of financing for local sex workers (the headquarters of the US armed forces in Europe are located there), all brothels were closed on March 13. Accordingly, cash flows from 20 thousand American employees ceased.

In Russian brothels, traditionally disguised as spa centers, the infection prevention is also carried out. According to anonymous sources, such institutions use antiseptics, face masks, and conduct regular medical examinations of employees.

However, as the medical experts note, the age of the main customers - from 19 to 45 years, should be taken into account. So, the risk to be infected with other dangerous illnesses, exists in such institutions.