Sex workers fear for their future cause of COVID-19

With social distancing rules in place and strip clubs and brothels closed, sex workers around the world have seen their incomes gone, as a result of the COVID pandemic. Fearing for their livelihoods, as well as their health, some of them offering services online to keep their business, while others charities for help.

Estelle Lucas has worked as an escort from 10 years, carefully building relationships with her clients. But the spread of COVID-19 and the need for social distancing has prompted a ban on sex, leaving her worried those efforts will go to waste.

It's fair to say that if i am not working for 180 days, a lot of people are going to forget me.

I can't contact my clients and just have a conversation with them. That doesn't work in my field. We need to build intimacy and that's just not possible in the current environment.

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, she was earning an above average income, and had hoped to soon pay off the mortgage on her home.

Now nearly all her income has been lost. She has tried to adapt by moving her business online, but says that cannot replace physical contact.