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The Ministry of Equality , through the Government Delegation against Gender Violence (DGVG) and the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), presented this morning the study "Perception of Prostitution". The Director General of Coordination and Research at the CIS, Silvia García Ramos, thanked the Ministry for the initiative and the trust placed in the Center for Sociological Research, emphasizing that “ultimately, the founding reason and objective of the CIS has always been to collaborate with other administrations to study public opinion in Spanish society, providing quality data that improves the development and implementation of public policies. Because only with good information can good decisions be made.” García Ramos highlighted that the survey represents a pioneering effort and a fundamental milestone, as it is the first time that CIS has conducted a monograph, dedicating an entire questionnaire to asking about the social perception that Spanish citizens have about prostitution and pornography , which has allowed for a deeper exploration of the topic and its analysis from multiple angles. While this isn't the first time the CIS has asked about this issue, as it has revealed: “ It was 40 years ago , in 1986, in a study on the image of military service, in which young men between the ages of 16 and 24 were asked about the justification or lack thereof for prostitution , among many other topics such as drug use, suicide, or paying less taxes. Other questions about the consumption or legitimacy of this practice have also been asked in other studies, such as the 2008 sexual health study.” The Director General of Coordination and Research described the methodological scope employed, based on the CATI system, with telephone interviews and phone numbers chosen completely at random, as is done in all CIS studies. It was designed with a sample size of 10,019 interviews , targeting residents of Spain aged 16 and over, with quotas for sex, age, municipality size, and autonomous community or city of residence. “We haven’t left young people out,” he added. “We didn’t want to forget them because their opinion is also crucial on a topic like this, but we also wanted a large enough sample size so that the results reflect the country’s situation at the time the survey is conducted, and have national, regional, and city representation.” The sheer size of the sample has allowed us to "generate two subsamples, one of men and one of women, with their corresponding weightings. This allows us to go far beyond simply cross-referencing by sex in the questions, to understand the opinions of men and women in a differentiated way according to their different sociodemographic conditions. In other words, we will be able to know, for example, what men think according to their age, the size of their municipality, their education; what women think according to their social class, their voting history, etc. This is a key aspect of the study, because it introduces an important gender perspective to a topic like the perception of prostitution, considerably expanding our knowledge on this subject." And finally, he wanted to acknowledge the fundamental role of the citizens who agree to answer the CIS surveys: “ We thank the citizens who have dedicated a little of their time to answering this survey , and who answer all the surveys that the CIS conducts every day. Thanks to their generosity in giving us this time, we can continue working, continue creating studies, and continue researching the reality of our society. Ultimately, it is they who contribute to providing public authorities with the information needed to develop policies, enabling the scientific community to continue its research, and allowing society and the media to understand the major social trends of our time.” The recognition was extended to the team of pollsters “for their daily work and also to all the technicians who have worked hand in hand with us to make this survey possible, and of course to the CIS staff, specifically the technician in charge of the study. It is thanks to their work and professionalism that we can continue to count on one of the best public opinion institutes that currently exist.” The Minister for Equality, Ana Redondo, began her speech by stating that prostitution “is not a job or just another economic activity, as it is intertwined with poverty, coercion, and vulnerability.” And thanks to this study by the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), the citizens' message is being heard: " It is about science, sociology and demoscopy, and it represents an endorsement for all that legislative and administrative structure that we are promoting ."

The Ministry of Equality, through the Government Delegation against Gender Violence (DGVG) and in collaboration with the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), has launched a survey targeting residents of Spain aged 16 and over. Its objective was to analyze societal perceptions of pornography and prostitution, as well as to understand how the public assesses their risks, impacts, and consequences in terms of equality, safety, and human rights. The ultimate goal is to generate robust empirical evidence to inform data-driven public policies, with a particular focus on preventing violence against women. The study, based on 10,019 interviews, analyzes citizens' attitudes, beliefs, and opinions regarding pornography, digital exposure to sexual content, victimization through the dissemination or non-consensual use of sexual images—including those generated with artificial intelligence (AI)—the perception of prostitution, and the measures considered appropriate to prevent and eradicate it. In light of the survey results, nearly 69% of respondents strongly or somewhat agree that prostitution is a form of violence against women, a percentage that rises to 75.1% among women. Furthermore, 79.1% strongly or somewhat agree that prostitution jeopardizes the dignity of those who engage in it, and over 75% believe that most women in prostitution are victims of sexual exploitation. On the other hand, more than three-quarters of the population consider that prostitution is not a job "like any other" and 79.8% reject the idea that it is "a way of exercising sexual freedom". Eighty-two percent of the population believes that paying for sex is a behavior more typical of men, as is watching pornography. Meanwhile, prostitution is perceived as a behavior more typical of women. Sixty-three percent of the population would disapprove of a male relative paying for sex. This rejection is even more pronounced among women, reaching 71.1%. Furthermore, the analysis by the DGVG and the CIS reveals a clear aversion among women to having a relationship with someone who pays for sex, with 91.2% stating they have no such intention. The public perceives prostitution as a phenomenon closely linked to socioeconomic vulnerability and violence. Seven out of ten people surveyed believe that women in prostitution are in it out of economic necessity, while 41.5% believe they are forced into it. Regarding pornography, 71.6% believe it promotes violence against women, and 93.3% of survey participants indicate the need to restrict minors' access to this content. They believe the responsibility for establishing these restrictions should lie primarily with families, parents, and also with the government. Furthermore, paying to view sexual acts on online platforms is considered a form of prostitution by seven out of ten people surveyed. Digital platforms Six out of ten people say they are aware of digital platforms like OnlyFans or JustForFans, with awareness being higher among men and those aged 16 to 34. According to those interviewed, financial need is the main reason some people create intimate content on these platforms. When asked about the risks that women who offer intimate or sexual content on digital platforms may face, the responses point to blackmail or extortion, unauthorized distribution, or harassment. The vast majority of the population, 95%, believes that digital platforms should be required to remove non-consensual sexual content published on them. Eradication of prostitution Regarding measures to eradicate prostitution, almost half the population believes the most necessary is strengthening education on equality, sexuality, and human rights from childhood. Likewise, the provision of social and economic programs to help women leave prostitution is seen as essential. Three out of ten respondents believe that punishing those who pay for prostitution and those who profit from the prostitution of others, but not the prostituted women, could be another effective measure. Regarding those who pay for prostitution, almost half of those who believe punishments should be imposed on those who pay for or profit from prostitution understand that this behavior should carry educational and economic sanctions. As for those who profit from the sexual activity of others, imprisonment is the most frequently mentioned measure, at 82.4%. The majority of the population, 85.6%, believes that punishing those who profit from the prostitution of others would contribute to reducing the trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation. In short, perceptions of pornography are largely critical, linking it to violence, the distortion of sexuality, and inequality. The results of the survey reflect a widespread rejection of positions that normalize prostitution, indicating a social orientation aligned with abolitionist approaches.  

On February 27, starting at 14:00 p.m., the study ‘Percepción de la prostitución' will be available to all media and interested people on the website of the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (www.cis.es). You will be able to access this study from the CIS website through the "Studies Catalog". For any questions, the Communication telephone number is 91 580 76 25 / 664 470 083.