1. Prehistoric & Ancient Societies
- Prehistoric evidence suggests that sexual exchange for goods, protection, or status existed before written history.
- In ancient Mesopotamia (around 3,000 BCE), there are records of sacred prostitution — where women engaged in sexual rites as part of religious ceremonies, often linked to fertility gods like Inanna/Ishtar.
- In ancient Greece, some sex workers (hetairai) were highly educated courtesans who could influence politics and art, while others worked in brothels and were treated as property.
- In ancient Rome, sex work was legal but heavily regulated. Sex workers had to register with authorities, and their social status was low.
2. Medieval Period (5th – 15th Century)
- The rise of Christianity in Europe led to moral condemnation of sex work, but brothels were still common, especially in growing cities.
- Many cities operated municipal brothels that were licensed and taxed by authorities.
- Religious authorities often saw sex work as a “necessary evil” to prevent greater sins like adultery or rape.
- In other parts of the world, such as Japan, the geisha and oiran traditions began to form — where entertainment, conversation, and cultural arts were blended with sexual services (in some cases).
3. Early Modern Era (16th – 18th Century)
- European colonization spread new laws and moral codes worldwide, often criminalizing indigenous sexual practices and imposing European-style regulations.
- In many regions, sex work became tied to military activity — brothels followed armies, and colonial governments regulated sex work to control sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
- In China, the courtesan culture of the Ming and Qing dynasties flourished, blending poetry, music, and companionship with sexual services for the elite.
4. 19th Century: Regulation & Stigma
- In Europe, especially under Britain’s Contagious Diseases Acts (1860s), sex workers in port towns were subjected to invasive medical examinations to prevent STI spread — laws seen as discriminatory and abusive.
- The rise of Victorian morality increased stigma and moral panic about female sexuality.
- In the US, sex work existed openly in “red-light districts” like Storyville in New Orleans, but increasing moral reform movements sought to shut them down.
- Colonial authorities worldwide often created segregated “prostitute quarters” under strict surveillance.
5. 20th Century: Criminalization & Resistance
- The early 1900s saw a wave of criminalization, often linked to anti-trafficking campaigns (the so-called “White Slave Panic”), which blurred consensual sex work with exploitation.
- After WWII, many countries tightened anti-sex work laws, while some, like the Netherlands and Germany, moved toward regulated legal frameworks.
- Feminist movements in the 1970s split — some saw sex work as exploitation, others as labor deserving rights and protection.
- Sex worker–led activism began to rise — e.g., COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) in the US, founded in 1973 by Margo St. James.
6. 21st Century: Ongoing Debate
- Today, sex work is legal and regulated in some countries (New Zealand, parts of Australia, Germany, the Netherlands), partially decriminalized in others, and heavily criminalized in most.
- The rise of the internet shifted much of sex work online, increasing safety for some workers but also introducing new risks.
- Sex worker rights movements have grown globally, pushing for full decriminalization as the safest and most respectful model, citing New Zealand as a positive example.
- Global debates continue between decriminalization, legalization, and the Nordic model (criminalizing buyers, not sellers).
