Protesters gather in New York City in February 2019 to advocate for the decriminalization of sex trades in the city and state. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced more than two years later it would stop prosecuting prostitution and seek the dismissal of hundreds of related cases dating back decades. Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption
The entrance to Herbertstrasse, the heart of the red-light district in Hamburg, Germany. Prostitution is legal in Germany, but the coronavirus pandemic prompted lawmakers to ban sex work in March. Rob Schmitz/NPR hide caption
LGBTQ, immigrant rights and criminal justice reform groups, launched a coalition, Decrim NY, in February to decriminalize the sex trade in New York. Erik McGregor/Getty Images hide caption
Alika Kinan was one of eight international activists honored at the State Department for their work against human trafficking. Shelby Knowles/NPR hide caption
Irene lives in a fishing village in Uganda where the rate of HIV infection is 43 percent. Wilbur Sargunaraj for NPR hide caption
Police help a potential victim of trafficking as they raid a brothel in west London in 2011. Note: the victim's face is obscured to protect her identity. Lewis Whyld/PA Photos/Landov hide caption
On Lumley Beach, after day trippers have headed home, prostitutes look for customers along a 100-yard stretch of road near some of the nicer hotels as well as near the bars and restaurants along the beachfront. Simon Akam/Reuters/Landov hide caption
Masked Indian sex workers protest alleged police atrocities in Bangalore last year. Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, with Diamond Head in the background. State lawmakers are vowing to get rid of a provision in Hawaiian law that allows law enforcement officers to have sex with prostitutes if doing so is within the scope of their duties. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. Undercover police in Honolulu say they need to be exempt from laws barring sex with prostitutes because sometimes they can't reveal their identities too soon. Ronen Zilberman/AP hide caption
A prostitute in Johannesburg waits for a client on a street corner. An estimated two-thirds of sex workers in South Africa are HIV positive. Yoav Lemmer/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Because of Eden's unconventional work schedule, she takes frequent naps throughout the day in order to get rest. Her cellphone is always within reach so she doesn't miss a customer's call. Courtesy of Alicia Vera hide caption