Support for sex workers in Berlin: Hydra e.V. and other places that can help

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Berlin has one of the largest and most varied sex work scenes in Europe, and also a good network of places where sex workers can get support. Knowing where to go makes a big difference, whether you need advice about registration or taxes, a doctor who does not judge you, a place to rest, or someone to talk to.

This article gives an overview, with a special focus on Hydra e.V. Services change, so it is worth checking opening hours on their websites before you go.

Why specialised support matters

General health and social services are not always easy to use for sex workers. In interviews with migrant female sex workers in Germany, researchers found barriers on several levels: language, fear of stigma, uncertain residence status and lack of information on the side of the sex workers, and missing skills and judgemental attitudes on the side of some professionals and the system itself (Lotysh et al., 2024). Specialised services are designed to lower these barriers.

Hydra e.V.

Hydra is a meeting point and counselling centre for sex work and prostitution in Berlin. People who work there include current and former sex workers, social workers and counsellors.

Counselling

Hydra’s counselling is accepting, anonymous, confidential and free. You can register by phone (030 611 00 23) or come by during opening hours, and you do not need to give your real name. Counselling is offered in German, Bulgarian, Romanian, Spanish and English, and language mediation is possible when needed. It is open to women, trans, inter and non-binary people who work in sex work or other parts of the erotic industry, or who want to change direction, and also to their partners, relatives and friends, to people who work with sex workers, and to clients (Hydra e.V., n.d.-a). Besides general advice, Hydra offers tax advice and can refer you to legal advice on different topics.

Online counselling and outreach

If you prefer not to come in person, you can chat with Hydra counsellors over an encrypted connection, without registering, or book a video call. Messages are answered within two working days (Hydra e.V., n.d.-d). Hydra’s outreach team also visits brothel apartments, SM studios, sex cinemas, clubs and street-based work areas across Berlin, brings health information and materials, and offers conversations on the spot (Hydra e.V., n.d.-e).

HydraCafé

The café in Neukölln is a space for people who work or have worked in the erotic industry, whether registered or not. You can rest, co-work, take a shower, use the kitchen and the clothing box, and talk to a social worker who is usually present. Once a month there is free HIV and STI testing, and once a month a doctor answers general medical questions. There are regular focus groups, including one for trans and queer sex workers and one for sex workers who experience racism, as well as workshops and community events (Hydra e.V., n.d.-b).

The Hydra relief fund

Hydra also runs a relief fund financed by donations. It can support sex workers in legal disputes about fundamental and social rights, and sex workers in an emergency who want to leave the work, for example with a rental deposit, when no state or other funding is available (Hydra e.V., n.d.-c).

Other places that can help

The district office of Berlin-Mitte keeps a list of services for sex workers (Bezirksamt Mitte von Berlin, n.d.). Among them:

  • Zentrum für sexuelle Gesundheit Mitte (centre for sexual health): free medical and psychosocial counselling, anonymous HIV and STI tests, PrEP, and a gynaecology consultation for sex workers.
  • Frauentreff Olga: a café and contact point near Kurfürstenstraße for women who use drugs or do sex work, with showers, social and medical counselling and gynaecology hours.
  • subway: a drop-in centre for men and for trans, inter and non-binary people up to the age of 27, with advice, showers, places to sleep, legal and social counselling and medical care.
  • Trans*sexworks: outreach for trans sex workers at night.
  • IN VIA and SOLWODI: counselling for people affected by human trafficking and for migrant women in crisis.

Choosing what fits you

Different places suit different needs. If you mainly want information or advice about your work, a counselling centre such as Hydra is a good first step. If you need medical care or tests, the centres for sexual health are a good place to start. If you want to meet colleagues and feel less alone, a community space such as the HydraCafé can help. And if you want to change your work or leave it, counsellors can help you plan the next steps at your own pace, without pressure. Partners, relatives and friends of sex workers can also ask for advice at Hydra (Hydra e.V., n.d.-a).

Registration and health counselling

In Germany, the Prostitute Protection Act (Prostituiertenschutzgesetz) requires sex workers to register and to attend regular health counselling (ProstSchG, 2016). In Berlin, registration takes place at the registration office Probea in the Rathaus Schöneberg (Bezirksamt Mitte von Berlin, n.d.). Many sex workers find these rules confusing, and the counselling centres can explain what applies to you, including if you are not registered.

When to look for more support

If you notice that you feel low, anxious, numb or overwhelmed for a long time, if past experiences of violence keep coming back, or if you would like to talk about your work, your relationships or your future with someone who does not judge, psychological support can help. You do not need to be in crisis to deserve it.

If you are in danger right now, call the emergency number in your country (112 or 110 in Germany). If you are in crisis or having thoughts of ending your life, you can find a free, confidential helpline in your country at findahelpline.com.

Through my collaboration with Hydra e.V. as an associated therapist, I have worked with many sex workers in all kinds of settings and from all kinds of backgrounds. I offer therapy without judgement, in English, Spanish or German, in Berlin or online. If you live in Berlin, Support for sex workers in Berlin lists places that can help.

How therapy with me works →

References

This article is exploratory and meant for information and reflection. It cannot capture the full complexity of any individual situation, and your own experience may be different. It does not replace a diagnosis or treatment.

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