Providing sexual services is considered the \u201coldest profession in the world.\u201d Throughout history, society\u2019s view of providing sexual services has changed. What we should understand under the term sex work and what services we provide for people who work in sex work can be read in the following lines. Sex work is sex by mutual agreement between adults for a fee; the term sex work refers to voluntary work, it does not evaluate or condemn. While the term prostitution should be understood as involuntary activity\u2014forced prostitution, child prostitution\u2014perceived as a socio-pathological, socially undesirable phenomenon. Prostitution\u2014human trafficking is a criminal offense. By using the term sex work, we clearly separate the topic of paid sexual services from the issue of human trafficking (i.e., forced work in sex work) and prostitution (i.e., commercial sex performed by children and adolescents). Words matter, and therefore we prefer the use of the words: sex work, women\/people working in sex work, sex workers. <\/p>\n\n
The red umbrella is an international symbol of people working in sex work. Just as an umbrella protects from rain, the umbrella is a symbol of protection\u2014protection from injustice. The rights of people working in sex work are human rights, which are not always respected. It is precisely for these reasons that several international days related to people working in sex work have been established: <\/p>\n\n
3.3. 3\/3 International Day of the Rights of Sex Workers<\/strong> \u2013 we draw attention to the fact that people working in sex work also have rights (established since 2001)<\/p>\n\n 2.6. 2\/6 International Day of Sex Workers<\/strong> \u2013 we pay respect to people working in sex work and draw attention to their often satisfactory working conditions (established since 1975)<\/p>\n\n 14.9. 14\/9 International Day of Sex Worker Pride<\/strong> \u2013 we celebrate the determination of people working in sex work, share their stories, and remember what the sex worker movement has achieved (established since 2019)<\/p>\n\n 17.12. 17\/12 International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers<\/strong> \u2013 we draw attention to violent acts committed against people working in sex work and to the social stigma and discrimination they have to face (established since 2003)<\/p>\n\n Forms of sex work are divided into: private sex work, hotel sex work, apartment-based sex work, bar-based sex work, street, road, and highway sex work. Sex work can also take a public and legal form, which is usually organized\u2014for example erotic and massage salons and saunas, strip clubs, sex clubs, brothels, escort services; and a hidden form, for example street sex work. <\/p>\n\n There are different legislative models of sex work in the world:<\/p>\n\n Almost everywhere there are laws designed to limit and control sex work, but they rarely achieve the desired effect<\/strong> Laws against organizers of sex work can temporarily limit the activity, but can also push it into more hidden forms. Laws that punish sex workers also reduce their power to protect themselves and leave them vulnerable to violence from clients as well as arbitrary and corrupt behavior by public and state authorities, such as police officers. The overall health of sex workers is generally better where sex workers have a higher status. <\/p>\n\n Sex work is not legally regulated in Slovakia and lies on the margins of interest, just like people working in sex work, who must face a high degree of marginalization and stigmatization. People working in sex work often do not even realize in what ways their working conditions or environment could be safer and better suited to their basic needs, and what benefits they miss out on by operating in this grey zone of the economy.<\/strong> People working in sex work often do not even realize in what ways their working conditions or environment could be safer and better suited to their basic needs, and what benefits they miss out on by operating in this grey zone of the economy. However, the law regulates sexual intercourse in public; it may be classified as a misdemeanor against public order, with a fine for this misdemeanor of up to \u20ac100, or as the criminal offense of hooliganism. In this case, the criminal offense is defined as follows: \u201cWhoever commits, verbally or physically, in public or in a place accessible to the public, gross indecency or disorderly conduct, in particular by: \u2026 e) causing public outrage by engaging in sexual intercourse or by engaging in sexual exhibitionism or other pathological sexual practices.\u201d For such a criminal offense, a prison sentence of up to three years may be imposed. Slovak law defines public outrage as follows: \u201cPublic outrage is such perception of the perpetrator\u2019s conduct that is in stark contradiction with the principles of morality, ethics, and coexistence among citizens and, in a group of people, causes serious moral condemnation and outrage.\u201d <\/p>\n\n Our Criminal code 300\/2005 Z. z <\/strong>. under \u00a7 132, defines: \u201cFor the purposes of this Act, prostitution means satisfying another person\u2019s sexual needs by intercourse, by another form of sexual intercourse, or by another similar sexual act with an adult person for remuneration.\u201d Under \u00a7 367 it also punishes procuring: \u201cWhoever arranges, induces, entices, exploits, obtains, or offers another for the performance of prostitution, or whoever profits from prostitution performed by another, or enables its performance, shall be punished by imprisonment for up to three years.\u201d Under \u00a7 179 it is a criminal offense against freedom\u2014human trafficking. As we can see, Slovak law does not distinguish between prostitution and sex work, i.e., it defines both forced and voluntary provision of sexual services as prostitution. We, as the civic association Odyseus, provide services for people working in sex work and\/or people who inject drugs. Within our activities we have the Red Umbrella program, through which, since 2003, our goal has been for people working in sex work to be accepted as part of society and for their rights not to be violated. We support their protection from violence and the prevention of health problems. If you work in sex work, do not hesitate to contact us.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n What can you contact us about?<\/p>\n\n What can we provide to you if you are a person working in sex work?<\/p>\n\n How do we provide our services?<\/p>\n\n If anything from this interests you, or if you have further questions, you can contact us by email, phone, SMS, or in person.<\/p>\n\n Sources:<\/p>\n\n HARCOURT, C. \u2013 DONOVAN, B. (2005). The many faces of sex work. Sexually Transmitted Infections, vol. 81, no. 3, pp. 201\u2013206. ISSN 1472-3263. <\/p>\n\n CHMEL\u00cdK, J. \u2013 BUDINA, Z. \u2013 PORADA, V. \u2013 WEISS, P. (2003). Mravnost, pornografie a mravnostn\u00ed kriminalita. <\/em>1. vyd. Praha: Port\u00e1l, 208 s. ISBN 80-7178-739-6. <\/p>\n\n OZ Odyseus (2015). Sex-biznis v kocke: Informa\u010dn\u00fd materi\u00e1l.<\/em> https:\/\/www.ozodyseus.sk\/files\/sex-biznis-v-kocke.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n OZ Odyseus (2019). Vyhodnotenie dotazn\u00edka \u201cPo\u010d\u00favaj hlas ulice\u201d : Dotazn\u00edk mapuj\u00faci potreby \u013eud\u00ed pracuj\u00facich v sexbiznise a ich sk\u00fasenos\u0165 s n\u00e1sil\u00edm.<\/em> https:\/\/www.ozodyseus.sk\/files\/prieskum-nasilia-v-sexbiznise-2019.pdf<\/a> <\/p>\n\n OZ Odyseus (2015). Legislat\u00edvne rie\u0161enia sex-biznisu vo svete<\/em>: https:\/\/www.ozodyseus.sk\/files\/legislativne-riesenia.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n OZ Odyseus. (2019). Pr\u00e1ca v sex-biznise a \u013eudsk\u00e9 pr\u00e1va. \u0160liapa\u0165 chodn\u00edk neznamen\u00e1 \u0161liapa\u0165 po svojich pr\u00e1vach <\/em>. ISBN 978-80-972047-5-4.<\/p>\n\n\n
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