Queensland sex workers say they face a dilemma — break the law to stay safe, or obey it and put their lives at risk.

Chrissie (whose last name is withheld) has been working as a fly-in, fly-out sex worker in regional Queensland for the past eight years and is one of many sex workers along with organisation Respect calling for a law change.

In Queensland, it is LEGAL to: work in a licensed brothel

work in a licensed brothel work alone (from your home, unit, motel or hotel) Source: Legal Aid Queensland In Queensland, it is ILLEGAL to: do bookings together

do bookings together share a workspace or work in the same building

share a workspace or work in the same building message another sex worker about their current location

message another sex worker about their current location check-in and check-out with another sex worker when a client arrives and leaves

check-in and check-out with another sex worker when a client arrives and leaves employ someone to answer their phone

employ someone to answer their phone use a driver another sex worker uses or recommends

use a driver another sex worker uses or recommends provide coded descriptions of services they provide Source: Respect

"I can't think of any other occupation where you are prohibited from telling anyone where you are going for your own safety," she said.

Under current law, independent sex workers are not allowed to message one another about their current location or check in or out with each other, do bookings together, share a workspace or work in the same building, employ someone to answer their phone, or use a driver another sex worker uses.

"Sex workers have to work to a very different criteria to any other business or career on the face of the planet," Chrissie said.

She said the current law forced sex workers to work in isolation and placed them in a vulnerable position.

Chrissie was working in Rockhampton eight years ago when another sex worker in nearby Gladstone was murdered in what the court described as an act of savagery.

She said the sex industry was already shrouded in secrecy because of its very nature.

"And to have that extra layer of secrecy, which no-one else in any other occupation is expected to adhere to is where the danger comes in."

Chrissie has been a sex worker on and off for more than 20 years and has learned extreme caution to stay safe.

She believed a change in law would make a significant difference.

"That ability to let someone know that you are going somewhere for an hour and will be back at this time and if anything goes wrong, this is where I am — simple things like that would make a huge difference to safety and stress," she said.

Crime and punishment

Chrissie said sex workers would be more likely to report a crime if the laws were changed.

"At the moment, you have to consider: did every step of what I did, was it lawful every step of the way?" she said.

"Because otherwise you're reporting not just the crime against you, but the crime committed by yourself."

Respect, a not-for-profit community organisation run by sex workers, is calling for these laws to be repealed and replaced with a decriminalisation model that removes police from the regulatory role.

Its spokesperson, Janelle Fawkes, said research into decriminalisation in New Zealand and New South Wales found work, health and safety improved as a result.

And since New Zealand decriminalised its industry in 2003, sex workers were more likely to report crimes, Ms Fawkes added.

"More importantly, police are more likely to take those claims seriously and the court handles sex work matters more fairly," Ms Fawkes said.

Sex workers in Queensland are calling for the laws to be repealed and replaced by decriminalisation, a model that removes police from the regulatory role. ( Reuters, file photo )

In Queensland, sex work is only legal if the person works alone or in a licensed brothel.

Ms Fawkes said the licensing framework in Queensland was often referred to as legalisation, but more than 80 per cent of those working in the sex industry were regulated by police.

"That's because of the limitations on how and where you can work … and what kinds of hoops you have to jump through to get a licence are so extreme that the majority of people simply cannot work within the limitations of the laws or cannot achieve getting a licence," she said.

"As a result, most of us, each day, have to make the decision between working legally or working safely."

Ms Fawkes said sex workers who had experienced violence would not have been in these situations if they had been able to implement some of these safety strategies.

"Everything a sex worker needs to do to operate safely or to implement basic good business practices was criminalised," she said.

This push for decriminalisation was prompted by police statistics showing an almost 60 per cent increase in offences under these particular laws in 2016–17.

Figures show offences increased from 61 to 96 within the year.

"We know that there is increased policing from feedback from sex workers and we feel that this government needs to take on board that these laws are putting sex worker safety at risk," Ms Fawkes said.

Daily impact

Frankie (whose last name is withheld) has been in the sex industry for seven years, working in strip clubs, brothels, pornography and now works privately in Brisbane.

The law impacts on every aspect of her work.

"It kind of comes down to the choice between working the best way that's safe for me or working within the law — I regularly work outside the law for my own safety," she said.

As a result, she has not been in any dangerous situations.

"Things like messaging a friend and telling them what time your booking is, what time it finished, where you're working, who you're seeing, and sharing that information so someone knows where I am at all times," she said.

"Being a stigmatised community, it's pretty common that my friends are sex workers as well, so it's actually unlawful for me to share that information with them."

But Frankie said, despite this, she had never been raided or arrested by the police as a private worker.

The current law forces sex workers to operate in isolation and places them in a vulnerable position, according to Chrissie. ( ABC file photo )

"I have a lot of privilege as a white, cis-female worker and a lot of the police target migrant workers, and I think that really comes down to racism and stereotypes," she said.

"I haven't experienced anything other than the police texting me or calling me to see if I offer actual services."

Frankie said there was the option to work in brothels, but the pay was lower and business relied on traffic through the door.

There are 20 licensed brothels in the state, and all are in Brisbane and the Gold Coast bar one in Toowoomba, one in Cairns, and one on the Sunshine Coast.

"So you have to be in those areas to work in a brothel," Frankie said.

Respect is meeting with ministers and other organisations and groups with the push for decriminalisation.

Official response

A spokeswoman for the Police Minister said the government had no plans to decriminalise illegal sex work.

She said Queensland's prostitution regulations were drafted with the safety of workers in mind.

"The Minister has met with the Prostitution Licensing Authority about current regulations in the sex industry," the spokeswoman said.

"All Queenslanders must abide by the law."

The ABC asked the Queensland Police Service (QPS) why there was an increase in prostitution offences in 2016–17 compared with the previous year.

In a statement, it said the QPS aimed to work collaboratively with other government stakeholders including the Prostitution Licensing Authority to ensure licensed brothels and their sex workers complied with the Prostitution Act.

It said the QPS was committed to protecting the safety of sex workers working within the industry and community.

"The QPS do undertake investigations and activities across the state aimed at ensuring compliance and offences, which may occur within these premises in addition to investigations where illegal sex work is being undertaken outside licensed brothels," the statement said.

"It is not appropriate to release specific details of methodologies and ongoing police investigations of illegal prostitution for offences in relation to the Prostitution Act."