COVID-19 has impacted all of our lives in profound ways, but the pandemic has unique risks and consequences for people involved in sex work. Economic challenges as well as the logistics of sex work mean that many sex workers are unable to engage in physical distancing and self-isolation measures. Further, governments in the United States and other parts of the world have explicitly excluded sex workers from state-sponsored financial aid programs.

Research is needed to better understand the unique needs of sex workers in the face of COVID-19, information that can be used to propose innovative and responsive community-based interventions.

In May 2020, the SW-C19 project was established as a collaborative project comprising researchers, clinicians, advocates, activists, and service providers. SW-C19 is a mixed methods, multifaceted study that uses innovative forms of digital data alongside more traditional participant interviews, focus groups, and media analyses to illuminate — and ultimately address — the risks and consequences sex workers face in relation to COVID-19.