Finnish MP Anna Kontula has opened up about her shocking past before entering politics. In a recent interview with Helsingin Sanomat, she revealed that she got involved in sex work at the age of 16 while living in a dormitory, out of financial hardship and curiosity, and started working as an ‘escort’.

Kontula, now 48, is serving her fourth term in parliament. Although she has been vocal about the rights of sex workers for many years, this is the first time she has publicly revealed her past experiences. She claims that she has worked in the sector irregularly for almost two decades.

In 2002, she co-founded the sex workers’ organization ‘Sali’ and challenged the prevailing ideas of society through articles. When a law was passed in Finland in 2006 to partially restrict the sale of sex, she saw it as a partial victory, because the law also included protections for victims of human trafficking.

Kantula, who has been an MP since 2011, said that the reason for speaking openly about the past now is to add a new dimension to the ongoing discussion around sex work in society. However, she has announced that she will not run for parliament in the future. She is currently training as a social worker, where safe sex education is one of the topics.

However, her confession has caused widespread controversy in Finnish society. In an opinion article published in Helsingin Sanomat, legal psychologist Pia Puolakka wrote that it is worrying to describe sex work as normal, like other professions. According to her, “normalizing sex work does not make society free or fair. The responsibility of a civilized state is to create an environment where no one has to sell their intimacy.”

It is worth noting that although sex work is legal in Finland, according to a 2006 law, buying sex from minors, victims of human trafficking, or people employed through brokerage is considered a crime.