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Sex

Spain's Sex Supermarket

In Spain, sex work laws are vague, and they've created a culture where demand for sex is at an all-time high. We examine a cross-section of the industry to understand what sex work is like for those who choose it and those who don't.

When it comes to sex work, Spain is in a state of flux. Unspecific laws on prostitution and open European borders have led to a huge stream of migrant women forced into sex work as they attempt to relocate into the country. At the same time, Spain's economic problems have stirred a growing number of women to take charge of the situation and willingly turn their bodies into businesses.

Traveling across the country, this documentary highlights the current state of play, speaking to people who work across the sex industry--from the women behind Spain's first union for prostitutes, to prostitution workshops lead by Spain's highest-paid escort, Paula VIP. We also speak to migrant women from Eastern Europe, who have crossed many borders either by force or to take advantage of the insatiable demand for sex workers in a country where 39 percent of men have admitted to paying for sex at least once in their lives.

From the beaches of Barcelona, to the nightclubs of Ibiza, to a small town on the border of France where human trafficking has run amok, we explore what happens when sex work goes unregulated and ask what can be done to fix it.