What does the term "sex worker" mean? The term sex work refers to a wide variety of sexual exchanges such as sex for remuneration but it can also include situations in which sex is bartered for other needs (such as a place to stay for the night if the person is homeless or has insecure housing). Sex work may also refer to exotic dancing and other forms of legal entertainment. Some forms of sex work are very informal and invisible. For example, low-income workers or day laborers occasionally have sex for money to augment income. Other forms such as street based sex work may be more visible. What does the term "people in the sex trade mean"? Many people who engage in sexual exchange do not use the term "sex work" to describe what they do. Some people and organizations use the term "people in the sex trade" as another way of referring to sexual exchanges for payment or bartering. Why does the Best Practices Policy Project refer to "related communities" or "vulnerable communities"? Many communities of people are made vulnerable to human rights abuses because they engage in sex work or the sex trade. Furthermore, people who are oppressed (poor, people of color, immigrants, transgender, disabled ) and lack access to health and social  resources to help them maintain their physical and psychological security are more vulnerable to violence and other forms of human rights abuses.  The Best Practices Policy Project also works with groups that are discriminated against because of their presumed engagement in sexual exchange including transgender communities, low income lesbians, bisexual and gay communities, and the homeless.  We use the term "related communities" to describe these groups of people who are struggling with these forms of oppression.