Importance Of STI Safety In Sex Work

Sex is my love language. Ever since I was little, I’ve too much enjoyed touches, being exposed, and being voyeuristic. Once I lost my virginity. my entire world view changed. I went from devout evangelical to devout hedonist overnight, going to sex clubs, finding strangers on craigslist personals, and becoming a sex worker.

I believe there are ways we can tap into a shared consciousness through our bodies, through art, music etc., and sex is my my gateway into that shared consciousness. It’s a meditation on what it is to be human, and alive, and inside a body. And it’s beautiful.

Practicing Safe Sex For Myself

I get tested frequently and set boundaries. I feel most safe with someone who can express authenticity and communicating openly. I try to foster an environment where others feel safe to communicate openly with me so that the scary and gross topics don’t have to be off the table.

To that end, always use a condom in work encounters. I only offer bareback services under specific conditions after that client-provider trust has been built.

Misconceptions About Sex Workers & STIs

People are sometimes wary of sex workers because they think we have a higher rate of STI’s — which just isn’t true. While our volume of encounters vary from worker to worker, we are on average doing more to screen our suitors, to enact strict boundaries, to skill share and learn from one another. We are better at this than you, I promise!

Are There Rules & Boundaries?

Yes, absolutely. Rules and boundaries are how we keep ourselves and each other safe. Every person should have their own boundaries around work-life balance, regardless if they’re a sex worker or not.

What Activities Are High Risk For Sex Workers?

I think the term “high-risk” is made up; it’s a classist term that is used to shame people into thinking their behaviors are somehow immoral. We all take risks every day, and the sexual risks we take as sexual beings aren’t exacerbated by doing sex work.

That being said, it’s always risky to sleep with someone new. To kiss someone new. To meet someone at a bar. To fall in love. To have a child. It’s especially risky when your own economic situation is such that you have to ignore your instincts in order to make money. It’s risky to walk the streets alone, but doing so with another worker can lead to a trafficking charge.

It’s risky to fuck a stranger without a condom, but for many of us it’s one form of survival or another—”Either I take this risk, or I don’t eat, pay rent, or buy diapers until I do.” The best thing you can do to reduce “risk” is to educate yourself and use your autonomy wherever possible.

What Happens If A Sex Worker Gets A STI?

First of all — Most people have HSV (herpes, cold sores) or HPV (human papilloma virus). You should always assume any given partner has one or both of these and make your choices from a place of that reality.

When a sex worker contracts something other than those very common viruses, we do the same thing everyone else does — we try to get better and (hopefully) alert recent partners.

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Mona Knotte – A GFE and fetish provider in Seattle, WA. She loves to drink coffee, watch stupid movies in her underwear, and cause a raucos on the internet. She is an avid harm reductionist, lover of 420, and long philosophical discussion. Her big tits match a big brain and acute-as-a-button smile. She would love to do more travelling and is passport ready!

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I’ll be in NYC between January 15-18 for my birthday! Taking pre-bookings now: monaknotte@protonmail.com

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Images from Mona Knotte

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