this post was submitted on 10 Apr 2026
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Sex workers face mortality rates from overdose that dwarf the general population. We're talking about an external-cause mortality risk roughly 8-12 times higher for these marginalized groups. The direct link is undeniable: studies show a significant history of substance dependence (100% in one cohort) with opioids involved in ~90% of those fatal events. It's crucial to note these are likely "conservative estimates" because many records don't capture sex work status.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12405828/
The driving factor isn't the work itself, but the trauma surrounding it. You see a high burden of PTSD, anxiety, and depression that predates or coincides with substance use. For many, the drug use, especially "polysubstance" mixing of opioids and benzos, is a form of self-medication to numb the violence and stigma
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acps.13559
The overdose is often a direct consequence of criminalization and policing. Research shows that when police target sex workers or create barriers to safe consumption sites, the odds of a fatal overdose more than double (AOR 2.15)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395922003668?fr=RR-2&ref=pdf_download&rr=9d06bca97a56066e
I agree with what you've said but I don't consider these things as caused by the job, rather symptomatic of how the job is treated in society (and how poorly regulated human trafficking for sex work is)
Of course, but it is the reason why I would not want any woman to be a sex worker in the current capitalist bigoted society.
Absolutely but its no reason to "have issues with OnlyFans Models and Porn Stars" yk? I'm fully with you on there being safety concerns
Time to abolish anesthesiologists