THE SEX BUSINESS

Prostitution is as old as time. It is present in almost all countries, and across cultures. Traditionally,
prostitution is defined as ‘the practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for
payment’2. Those who practice prostitution are called prostitutes. A very crude term, prostitution is
generally considered as an immoral and depraved act carried out by men and women of questionable
character. Consequently, there are a lot of negative stereotypes associated with the term.
In the late 1970s, the political landscape underwent a drastic change when the term ‘Prostitution’
was replaced by the term ‘Sex Work’. The term ‘Sex Work’ was coined in 1978 by sex worker/
activist Carol Leigh3, an influential leader of The Sex Worker’s Movement in the United States of
America. According to her, “Sex Work” was a term that could unite all those engaged in the sex
industry including prostitutes, porn actresses, exotic dancers, and bring them under one umbrella of
“Sex Work”. But the term did more than that. It removed the moral divide between prostitution and
other forms of work. By calling ‘prostitution’ sex work, Carol Leigh essentially made it into any
other commercial activity. It took away the implied immorality and insult attached with the term
‘prostitution’ and replaced it with a business – the business of sex. By the late 1990’s, the term ‘sex
work’ had gained currency in academics4 and was recommended by the World Health
Organization5. Soon after, the Joint United Nations Progamme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), also
advised the use of the term “Sex Work”6.