The stories of those who exited prostitution tend to be wildly different than those still working in the industry and identifying as "sex workers." And what men tend to believe about those working in prostitution tends to align with that "sex worker" narrative as well — that some women just really enjoy prostitution, that it is simply a job like any other, that these women are making such good money it is a fair trade… But when you speak to women freed from the trade, able to look back at their experiences clearly and honestly, you will hear a different truth.

Andrea Heinz is a Canadian feminist who, at the age of 22 and with tens of thousands of dollars in debt, entered the licensed commercial sex industry in Edmonton, Alberta. Andrea stayed in the industry for seven years, working as an escort, a dominatrix, and eventually a brothel owner. She left the industry in 2013 and is now a writer, speaker, and filmmaker working to raise awareness about commercial sexual exploitation, particularly the harms of “sex work” ideology.

Meghan Murphy speaks with her about her experiences and why prostitution is not "a job like any other."