15.10: Thoughts on Sexual Wellness as Related to Sex(uality) Work that Engages with the Body

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Susan Rahman with Nathan Bowman, Dahmitra Jackson, Lushtak, Remi Newman, & Prateek Sunder
California Consortium for Equitable Change in Hispanic Serving Institutions Open Educational Resources (CC ECHO)

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Our sexuality is a part of our overall wellness. As we’ve discussed in other chapters of this book, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health related organizations see sexual health as a necessary part of our well-being. Work in this field, whether currently legal or not, is a therapeutic intervention for some. To revisit, the WHO asserts:

Sexual health is fundamental to the overall health and well-being of individuals, couples and families, and to the social and economic development of communities and countries.

Sexual health, when viewed affirmatively, requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.

The ability of men and women to achieve sexual health and well-being depends on their:

access to comprehensive, good-quality information about sex and sexuality
knowledge about the risks they may face and their vulnerability to adverse consequences of unprotected sexual activity
ability to access sexual health care
living in an environment that affirms and promotes sexual health (World Health Organization, 2022).

If our sexual health is suffering for whatever reason and we wish to intervene, many of the professions discussed in this chapter could potentially serve as a remedy. Western culture, particularly in the United States, has stigmatized sex and sexuality to a point where we are all a bit conflicted when it comes to sexual expression and freedom. In particular, we have a history that presupposes that sex is just for procreation, or that only cisgender, straight, white, male people are supposed to enjoy sex. When sexual relationships happen between gendered male and gendered female people, there is often a disconnect because of these cultural messages. When we force people into gendered boxes that come accompanied with prescribed behaviors around sexuality, we come together and are not sure how everything works with our partners, because we’ve been taught entirely different sexual scripts. Sex education often does not teach students about pleasure and the parts of the body that are designed for sexual enjoyment. I’ve looked long and hard, and have not heard of a high school class that teaches their students the beauty of erectile tissue. Imagine how empowering that knowledge could potentially be. In a society that touts freedom as one of their main cultural values, this is ironic.

Because many of us were forced to unlearn some of those messages and reclaim our sexuality, sex(uality) work that engages with the body can be a useful tool. Whether it be gendered messages around our sexuality, past traumas, or lack of knowledge about our bodies and what they are capable of, sometimes finding support in this realm is a great option. I encourage everyone to watch GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE | Official Trailer | Searchlight Pictures. It is a beautiful, awkward, and messy story about a woman finding her pleasure through the help of a kind and compassionate sex worker. As pointed out in this chapter, this type of work can offer someone lifesaving wellness.

Decriminalizing sex(uality) work that engages with the body could potentially be a step in the direction of removal of stigma. The result of cultural messages that conflate sexuality with sin is that people don’t talk openly about sex. What if we were to celebrate sexuality and teach students from a young age that our sexuality is part of our overall physical health? I think the world would be a better place. I know that’s a large assertion, but take a moment and think about how your life would be if you had no sexual or body hang-ups. Hypothetically, remove those barriers from your life, and imagine what would be different for you.

As we mentioned earlier in the chapter, decriminalizing sex(uality) work that engages with the body would also help protect sex workers. We see what happens to sex workers as restrictions against their work increases, forcing them deeper into secretive websites that put them at great danger. If, as is the case with new SESTA/FOSTA internet guidelines, people are forced to arrange appointments and services in only the darkest corners of the internet, workers have little to no protection from client harm. Those who provide legal health services of any kind, including legal sex work, have the option to call law enforcement to intervene if they feel in danger, and may be protected by various workplace measures. Those working illegally cannot. Sex(uality) work that engages with the body is part of societies worldwide. How each nation decides to institutionalize it varies, and these decisions have consequences. It would be a large but doable leap to shift how we view sexuality. Other models exist, and nations like Norway and Sweden who have adopted more inclusive and accepting policies and attitudes toward sexuality have not fallen into moral decay. In fact, their overall quality of life is far better than those in the United States based on multiple measures (Eglitis, n.d.).