When we talk about sexual violence, we usually discuss the most overt forms, such as rape, but there are complex forms of sexual violence that function on a societal level. Survival sex is a prime example of a form of sexual violence caused by how inaccessible economic stability and housing are in our society. It is important to emphasize that survival sex is also a direct result of homophobia and other forms of discrimination.
What is survival sex?
Survival sex is exchanging sexual acts to meet the basic needs of survival, such as food, shelter, supplies to care for children, etc. These sexual acts can include prostitution, pornography, stripping, and others. Most individuals who engage in survival sex are not overtly forced or coerced into these sexual acts, but they do feel that their circumstances leave them withfew or no other options. Hence, I argue that survival sex, although given with consent from the individual, is still a form of sexual violence, because it is some folks’ only way to provide for themselves and their families. There is no choice in engaging in survival sex when the federal minimum wage is too low to pay for rent, when formerly incarcerated people cannot obtain stable incomes, when the coronavirus pandemic has left so many jobless and homeless, when there is a lag between receiving government financial assistance and getting it in your hand, and when economic instability is the norm for too many people in our country.
Who is affected by survival sex?
There are groups who are disproportionately affected by survival sex. Individuals who are facing homelessness utilize survival sex to acquire warm and safe housing. Usually, individuals agree to perform sexual acts in exchange for crashing on someone’s couch for a night or two. This is not only a temporary solution to homelessnes, but it also poses further risks, such as other forms of violence occurring in those temporary homes and the survival sex becoming an overt form of sexual violence.
Deeper than that, we must consider the people in the US who are disproportionately affected by homelessness. Young women are more likely to engage in survival sex with the limited resources and gender-based violence many face, which result in homelessness. When women experience domestic and sexual violence in the home, becoming homeless may be their only option to escape their situation, and engaging in survival sex may be the only way to gain sustenance. Many women also face coercion when engaging in survival sex, where the person providing housing or financial support will take advantage of the vulnerable situation the woman is in. They may be more likely to ask for more than the woman is comfortable consenting to, since she is reliant on the resources deriving from saying “yes.”
The LGBTQ+ community, particularly youth, faces a significant degree of homelessness due to the homophobia and transphobia our society continues to hold. According to a University of Chicago study, LGBTQ youth had a 120 percent higher risk for experiencing homelessness than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. This unacceptably high rate derives at least from the fact that many LGBTQ youth are ostracized from their homes when they come out. Forced homelessness also continues outside of the family unit with discrimination against LGBTQ folks, and especially LGBTQ people of color, still being pervasive in the housing industry.
Overall, anyone who experiences poverty, an inaccessibility of resources, or homelessness can be affected by the need for survival sex. Without adequate funding for organizations, shelters, and social welfare, more and more people will rely on survival sex and face its consequences to provide for themselves and their families.
What are the risks?
With any type of sexual activity, and especially one fueled by necessity, there are risks and consequences. Similar to sex work, the main risks include contracting a sexually transmitted illness (STI) or HIV, having an unintended pregnancy, violence and coercion, and stigma. Sexual-minority youth who are engaged in survival sex are at even higher risk of facing certain consequences, such as homophobic and transphobic hate crimes and STI or HIV risks. A study on survival sex work and sexual minority youth found that LGBTQ youth were more likely to report inconsistent condom usage with clients, significantly increasing their risk of contracting an STI or becoming pregnant. In addition to these physical risks of survival sex, people who engage in it are more likely to experience mental health concerns such as depression and suicidality. Sex workers are criminalized for the work that they do, with police targeting the sex worker disproportionately over the client. Even though a plethora of abuse and unsafe situations occur to the sex worker, they are the ones who suffer consequences of jail time, fines, and thus an endless of cycle of needing to utilize survival sex as a means to live. It is vital that the United States and other countries decriminalize sex work. It is only one step closer to genuine public safety, especially for those who are disproportionately engaged in survival sex practices, but it is an essential one.
The violence that occurs surrounding survival sex may range from physical assault, to threatening, to forms of sexual violence and abuse. The stigmatization, or negative perception, of survival sex and sex work in general perpetuates the sexual violence that occurs during those interactions. There are many people who believe that sex workers cannot be sexually assaulted because of their engagement in sex being for money or other resources. Well, weren’t they offering sex, anyways? No, every human has the right to say “no” and to stop sexual activity at any time. This grossly false perspective erases and silences the very real trauma and sexual violence that sex workers and people who engage in survival sex experience.
What do we do about it?
Donate to local homeless shelters and foundations that directly support vulnerable homeless populations, like LGBTQ youth, people of color, and veterans.
Write to your local representatives and urge legislation that protects sex workers.
Vote for local, state, and national politicians who believe in providing economic and social support to our most vulnerable communities. Share this information and engage in conversation with your friends and loved ones.
1 https://www.hrc.org/news/new-report-on-youth-homeless-affirms-that-lgbtq-youth-disproportionately-ex
Julia Kopala
My name is Julia, and I am currently working in Boston as a special education teacher. I joined Survivors to Superheroes because I am a survivor myself who did not have any support or resources to understand the gravity of the situation I was in. I want my writing to empower and validate the diversity of experiences and identities that survivors hold, amplifying the idea that healing is possible. Outside of the organization, I find joy in hiking, reading, and mentoring students!
