I wanted to post it on our blog because a The condoms looked so adorable and pretty and b I love writing about safe sex. I also was still pretty green and had a lot to learn.
In fact, no form of safe sex does. What the heck do I mean, you ask? Sex workers are a diverse group, and the level of power they feel when dealing with clients also differs between individuals.
Gender, ethnicity, ability, poverty, and the existence of criminalization can all change how likely it is for someone to feel they have the capacity to use a condom. For example: Some indoor sex workers have extensive screening practices. These practices can include requiring clients to give their full name, their identification, their phone number, and their home address.
Clients may need to have good references from at least 2 other sex workers who say they are not jerks, showed up for their appointments, paid the full amount, etc. Street based sex workers may have a lot less power and ability to screen clients than many indoor workers. The higher visibility of working on the streets, and the persistent fear of arrest, often means that sex workers are limited from negotiating terms before jumping in a vehicle.
Street sex work is more often driven by a combination of high and immediate financial needs and limited opportunities to earn money. This creates a potentially dangerous imbalance of power within the transaction when individuals try to exploit a workers financial need for their gain.
