If we talk to young people about sex work, are we likely to encourage them to become prostitutes ?

Let’s start this answer with a question: if we don’t talk to young people about the trading of sexual services, is there still a chance that they will know that sex work exists ? 

It seems obvious to us that there is! Whether it is through television, movies, books, an acquaintance or social networks, teenagers will eventually be introduced to the concept of sex work.

Let’s look at a similar question: When we talk to young people about sex, are we encouraging them to have sex ? Does talking to them about alcohol encourage them to drink ? Probably not! Rather, our conversations with teens can serve to convey important messages such as education about consent, risk reduction and power dynamics in interpersonal relationships. 

As with pornography or sexting, we believe it is important that young people have a realistic view of sex work, which they are unlikely to acquire if their only source of information is, for example, the movies. Thus, leaving issues related to the sale of sexual services out of sex education carries many risks: young people will not know where to turn if they have concerns about this topic, will be left to make decisions on their own without the tools to do so, and will not know how to protect themselves from abusive relationships.

In addition, it is important for youths to understand why it is much riskier for adolescents than adults to sell sex, and to be able to recognize the problematic dynamics related to the age of consent. 

Sex education is not about encouraging them to “prostitute” themselves, but rather about knowing how to set boundaries, knowing what resources are available, having the tools to exercise informed consent in their sexual lives, and being able to support their friends who may be in difficult situations.