Sarah Elspeth Patterson, M.Ed., is a former sex worker, survivor, and executive director of Persist Health Project, a peer-led community health organization based in Brooklyn, New York, and serving all five boroughs of New York City. In the past, she has written pieces about sex work for Rewire as well as Gender Without Borders. She was also a media columnist for $pread Magazine, a publication by and for people in the sex trades. She has worked as a programming consultant, health educator, and professional trainer for a range of organizations working in sexual health, including Planned Parenthood of New York City and Columbia University’s School of Nursing. She holds a master’s in Human Sexuality Education and is currently pursuing her PhD in Social Welfare.