Sex work exists on a spectrum of choice, circumstance, and coercion. There are many reasons why someone may be working in the sex trades and these reasons may change overtime. Someone may initially choose to do sex work and later face coercion or conversely someone may be coerced to do sex work and then later choose to do it under different conditions.
Some people choose sex work because they find it fulfilling and may do it within legalized or criminalized sectors of the sex trades; they may do sex work full-time or in addition to other employment. Some people face circumstances that prevent them from working in other labor sectors or within the formal economies due to migration status, gender identity and expression or other factors, and therefore do sex work to support themselves and their families. While some people in the sex trades, as well as many other labor sectors including farm work, domestic work, construction work, and restaurant work, are coerced, this is known as human trafficking.