Communicating Sex Work Online: A Content Analysis of Client and Provider Discourse in r/SexWorkers.

Abstract

The growth of digital technologies has enabled the creation of online platforms for sex workers to share, create, and gather information. To elucidate how this community leverages social media, the current study analyzed how sex workers and related groups (e.g. clients) communicate in a pseudonymous online space - r/SexWorkers. A content analysis of 103 posts and 967 comments submitted to r/SexWorkers between March 13, 2021, and February 22, 2022 was performed, evaluating 1) the prevalence of risk (i.e. to sex workers and clients) within the community's discourse, 2) types of information shared within the community (e.g. legal, health, and support), 3) features of information exchange (e.g. seeking and providing), and 4) the emergence and confrontation of stigma. The findings of this study indicate that users took specific interest in the risks sex workers face (as opposed to clients), providing information predominantly about economic and health concerns, discussing potential abuses, and providing support to one another. Moreover, while stigma was not commonly discussed by the community, users who did engage with stigma (especially professional stigma) sought to counteract prevailing beliefs about sex work. Accordingly, r/SexWorkers seemingly provides a beneficial online space for sex workers and clients to discuss risk, safety, and stigma.