Sex work and related issues
Sex work and related issues is a research topic within Sociology and Political Science. Science Explorer counts 29k research works in it since 1950. 28.4% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.
This cluster of papers explores the global impact of sex work and trafficking, focusing on issues such as HIV/AIDS prevalence, violence against sex workers, human rights violations, stigma, health interventions, structural factors influencing risk, mental health challenges, and policy responses. The research encompasses a wide range of geographical locations and examines the complex interplay of social, economic, and cultural factors affecting individuals involved in sex work.
- Sex Work
- Trafficking
- HIV/AIDS
- Violence
- Human Rights
- Stigma
- Health Interventions
- Structural Factors
- Mental Health
- Policy Responses
- Research works
- 29k fractional, since 1950
- In the world top 10%
- 8.2k per year above
- Top-10% rate
- 28.4% share of its works in the world top 10%
- Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
- +28% the tick is no change
Which countries lead Sex work and related issues research?
By volume, the United States and the United Kingdom publish the most (1.6k and 563 works in 2022–2025).
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 United States 1.6k works
- 2 United Kingdom 563 works
- 3 Brazil 446 works
- 4 Australia 277 works
- 5 Canada 266 works
- 6 India 238 works
- 7 Spain 208 works
- 8 Indonesia 202 works
- 9 Germany 165 works
- 10 South Africa 163 works
How concentrated that is
The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.
Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.
Which institutions lead Sex work and related issues research?
By volume in 2022–2025, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill publishes the most Sex work and related issues research, followed by Johns Hopkins University and University of Toronto.
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUnited States 67 works
- 2 Johns Hopkins UniversityUnited States 28 works
- 3 University of TorontoCanada 25 works
- 4 Universidade de São PauloBrazil 22 works
- 5 UNSW SydneyAustralia 20 works
- 6 London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineUnited Kingdom 20 works
- 7 University College LondonUnited Kingdom 20 works
- 8 The University of MelbourneAustralia 19 works
- 9 University of the WitwatersrandSouth Africa 18 works
- 10 University of KwaZulu-NatalSouth Africa 18 works
Who are the leading researchers in Sex work and related issues?
The most-cited researchers publishing on Sex work and related issues include Till Bärnighausen and Don C. Des Jarlais.
- 1 Till Bärnighausen Germany 5.4k citations
- 2 Don C. Des Jarlais United States 4k citations
Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.
Where is Sex work and related issues research done?
The largest centres of Sex work and related issues research in 2022–2025 are London (United Kingdom), New York (United States), Melbourne (Australia) and Chapel Hill (United States). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Kampala.
Largest cities, 2022–2025
- 1 London United Kingdom 145 works
- 2 New York United States 95 works
- 3 Melbourne Australia 74 works
- 4 Chapel Hill United States 68 works
- 5 São Paulo Brazil 67 works
- 6 Toronto Canada 62 works
- 7 Washington D.C. United States 60 works
- 8 Sydney Australia 55 works
- 9 Rio de Janeiro Brazil 54 works
- 10 Madrid Spain 52 works
Where it is the local speciality
- KampalaUG · 26.7 works10×
Location quotient: how much more of its research is in Sex work and related issues than the world average.
Where is the best place to study Sex work and related issues?
Among universities, judged by research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, La Trobe University and Makerere University score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.
One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.
| # | University | Score | Top 10% | Specialisation | Works | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineUnited Kingdom | 70.1 | 34.5% | 21.7× | 20 | +23.9% |
| 2 | La Trobe UniversityAustralia | 68.0 | 39.7% | 9.8× | 18 | +62.3% |
| 3 | Makerere UniversityUganda | 64.3 | 33.9% | 12.6× | 14 | +69.3% |
| 4 | University of the WitwatersrandSouth Africa | 64.0 | 36.8% | 7.3× | 18 | +139.1% |
| 5 | Western Sydney UniversityAustralia | 61.3 | 42.6% | 6.0× | 9 | +207.2% |
| 6 | Universidad Pontificia ComillasSpain | 59.4 | 44.0% | 22.4× | 10 | -15.4% |
| 7 | University of KwaZulu-NatalSouth Africa | 58.8 | 34.7% | 8.3× | 18 | +39.1% |
| 8 | Northumbria UniversityUnited Kingdom | 57.9 | 24.5% | 7.9× | 11 | +250.0% |
| 9 | University of GhanaGhana | 56.5 | 29.1% | 9.0× | 12 | +78.7% |
| 10 | University of AucklandNew Zealand | 56.0 | 42.1% | 3.5× | 11 | +400.0% |
Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.
Is Sex work and related issues research growing?
Output in 2018–2022 was 28% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2024. The fastest-growing topics are Sex work and related issues.
The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.
Which topics inside it are moving
Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.