Anabel Mecklenburg
BBC, Scotland
'Viktoria Porcelan' has been engaged in prostitution or selling bodies for sexual services for eight years.
The 26-year-old says the job allows her flexible working hours, which helps her with childcare.
“I really enjoy how liberating it is and, of course, that it brings a smile to my clients’ faces,” she says.
"In any service business, you want to bring a smile to your customer's face, whether you're a chef, a plumber, or a salesperson," she says.
Victoria started prostitution when she was 18, which she says was a way to escape domestic violence.
"I plan to do this as long as I can. I'd like to do this into my sixties," she says.
"My plan is to hopefully semi-retire and become a counselor who helps couples and single people understand their sexuality when it comes to fetishes and other things."
But she is worried that a potential change to the law in Scotland could push her and other sex workers into poverty.
Independent MP Ash Regan has proposed legislation that would make paying for sexual services a misdemeanor.
This approach is often called the Nordic model and was first implemented in Sweden.
Regan, who previously ran for leadership of the Scottish National Party, argues that limiting men's demand for prostitution will help protect women.
Currently, sexual services can be bought and sold in Scotland, but some things are illegal, such as offering services, driving slowly along the streets in search of prostitutes, and running a brothel.
According to the Reagan proposal, the sale of sexual services would be legal, but the payment, or purchase, would not.
Sex workers would have a legal right to support, and convictions for offering services would be expunged.
The law would not change regarding brothels.
The proposal, however, is controversial.
Victoria, who works in one of the areas of Edinburgh, says that sex work has provided her with an income that allows her to give her child the best possible life.
She says criminalizing clients will drive sex workers into poverty.
“There will be fewer clients who will want to approach us and pay us,” she says.
"If I worked a normal nine-to-five job, I wouldn't be able to pay the bills."
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Victoria's concern is shared by Amelia, whose real name is not Amelia.
Six years ago, she decided to start prostitution.
"I worked in the hospitality industry, 11-hour shifts with 20-minute breaks," she says.
"I was criticized quite harshly at work, despite being a pretty hard worker. I felt like no matter what I did, I was just never good enough."
"I started working OnlyFans several years.
"And then, through the internet, Instagram, and meeting other sex workers, I realized I was quite interested in doing live sex work."
Amelia, who also works in the Edinburgh area, disagrees with Ash Regan's belief that the Nordic model will lead to a reduction in violence against women.
She fears that such a model would only turn away clients who are considered "good".
"The proposal is pointless and will not work because violent clients who wanted to hurt you were breaking the law anyway."
"A client who wants to hurt me will do so, regardless of whether the Nordic model is applied or not," she says.
He fears that other clients, who would be criminalized under this proposal, would be reluctant to provide personal information to avoid the police.
“If I could sit down with a politician and show him how I do the reservation process, they would immediately see all the ways the Nordic model would make me unsafe,” she says.
“If I can't get a client's name, age, phone number, I won't feel safe at work.
"I could never accept a client's reservation without their name."
Politician Regan dismisses concerns that her proposal could endanger the people she is trying to protect.
"That's complete nonsense," she says.
"Clients are currently in a much better position than sex workers and often use this to exploit women's vulnerability."
"So they're told 'If you don't do what I say, I'll report you to the police' and stuff like that, while in the Nordic model things are changing."
"Women in prostitution can tell a client: 'No, I won't comply with that request, I'll call the police.'"
"It doesn't sound like much, but it's a subtle shift in power that, I think, gives greater security and greater safety to those working in prostitution."
Victoria and Amelia fully accept that not everyone who sells sex has chosen to do so and do not speak for every sex worker in Scotland.
Regan has the support of others who were previously involved in the trade and some of those who work to support them.
Brona Andrew is the Operations Manager of TARA (The Alliance to Combat Human Trafficking), an organization supporting victims of human trafficking.
They strongly support the Ash Reagan proposal, and their position is based on their experience with human trafficking.
This year, there has been a significant increase in the number of female victims of human trafficking.
"Between April and September this year, we provided support to a group of 124 women."
"In that six-month period, 43 of those women were newly identified and referred to us, which is a big jump from the previous year," says Andrew.
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The women supported by the organization are extremely vulnerable.
"Human traffickers have many different and creative ways to keep women under control."
"They don't know English, many women are disoriented and don't really know what part of the UK they are in."
"We had an example of a young woman referred to us who thought she was in Toronto - she had no idea she was in Glasgow."
The Scottish government recently said it “strongly supports” a ban on the purchase of sexual services, but has “significant concerns” about the Ash Regan bill.
Ministers want “significant changes” to the law, meaning it is unlikely to be passed before parliament is dissolved ahead of elections next year.
This is a complex discussion.
Both sides want the same thing, which is to improve the lives of women.
But they have very different views on what that improvement should look like.
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