Ruth Morgan Thomas has been involved in the sex industry for more than 30 years, 8 years as a sex worker, 2 ½ years as an academic researcher at Edinburgh University looking at HIV related risks in the sex industry, and 20 plus years as a sex workers’ rights advocate within a UK, European and global context. She is the Global Coordinator of the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP), and currently co-chairs the UNAIDS Advisory Group on HIV and Sex Work on behalf of the NSWP.