The courage to ‘get naked’: Stigma, disclosure and lived experience in sex work research

Abstract

Stigma is widely acknowledged as an issue that causes significant harm to sex workers, forcing people to conceal their experiences. It has also been acknowledged that the stigma relating to sex work can impact researchers, who may experience stigma by association. However, researchers can also have personal experience of sex work themselves, which means they are impacted directly by stigma on several levels and must negotiate difficult decisions relating to disclosure and risk. In this paper, I recount the power that stigma has had over me, discussing the emotional challenges that this has created for me as a researcher and in my everyday life. Furthermore, I reflect on the complications of my positionality and argue that while lived experience is incredibly valuable, as researchers it is also important to be aware of the limitations of our own experiences.