[DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer, and this article is not intended as legal advice. I seek only to spare you a long Google session by explaining the general legal status of sex work, including erotic massage / sensual massage, in the UK.]
Outside of Northern Ireland, the short answer is yes.
To quote the UK’s Metropolitan Police, which is the most official but reader-friendly resource I’ve found on the topic:
The exchange of sexual services for money is legal in the UK (apart from in Northern Ireland where it’s illegal to pay for sex).
Erotic (sensual) massage is a ‘sexual service’. It falls under umbrella of of ‘sex work’, which the Metropolitan Police says also includes ‘prostitution, stripping or lap dancing, performing in pornography, phone or internet sex, or any other sexual services in return for money, goods, or other agreed items’. So, yes, it’s legal to both receive and give paid erotic massage in the UK, as long as you’re doing it in England, Scotland, or Wales.
‘If erotic massage is truly legal, why don’t I see it advertised more often? What’s with all the shadiness?’
Good questions! This is where things get more complicated.
While giving and receiving sexual services is legal, there are activities associated with sex work that are not. To quote the Met Police again:
But, these related activities are illegal under the Sexual Offences Act 2003:
- soliciting (trying to get clients) on the street or other public place, including someone in a vehicle
- paying for the services of a sex worker who’s forced or threatened into it
- owning or managing a brothel (any premises which is used by more than one person for sex work)
- pimping (someone who has control over sex workers and the money they earn)
- advertising sexual services, including putting cards in phone boxes
Note that last one (about advertising), and you’ll begin to understand why marketing sexual services without resorting to shadiness can be challenging. The Met Police’s description doesn’t tell the full story, though. To quote another source, the law firm Creative Legals:
Advertising sexual services is not illegal in the UK. However, certain types of advertisements are prohibited. For example, it is illegal to advertise sexual services in a public place, such as on the side of a road or in a park.
According to the Sexual Offences Act 2003, it is illegal to advertise sexual services in public places or through print or broadcast media. However, advertising on online platforms is not illegal, as long as the services offered are not illegal.
Except…
It’s not just about the law
Especially when it comes to marketing yourself on the internet, it’s not always about the law, but about an online platforms’ individual terms and conditions of use. Many marketing-related services, including social media platforms, website builders, financial technology, and stock photo providers, specifically prohibit use for sex work. They can ban anyone they judge to be violating that condition.
As a result, I (with the help of a web designer) created this website from scratch despite knowing nothing about web design because I couldn’t legally use simple site-building platforms like Wix, Weebly, and WordPress.com. I also chose a sex-work-friendly hosting provider. These are just a couple of the obstacles I’ve encountered in pursuit of the tools I need to make my erotic massage service available to women who want it.
I can’t say for sure why these businesses try to keep sexual services off their sites. I have only my own guess: Given how often laws around sex work change in some countries, the unfortunate connection between sex work and crime, and other factors, supporting sex workers is a potential liability issue these businesses aren’t willing to risk. It doesn’t help that many of the most popular online platforms and tools are based in the US, where sex work is criminalised. And they don’t have to adjust their terms and conditions to the laws of the user’s country.
Finally, I’d be remiss not to mention stigma, which adds a layer of obstacles and necessary discretion around every aspect of sex work even where it’s legal.
And now you know!
Whether you were anxious or just curious, I hope this breakdown helped to demystify the legal status of erotic (sensual) massage in the UK. The mystery around sex work can make women feel like they’d be doing something unlawful by receiving a sensual massage. You can rest assured that this isn’t the case. If you’d like to book a female-to-female massage with me, come introduce yourself with a booking enquiry here.
