Members of the public seeking health‑focused remedial massage therapy or myotherapy services are encouraged to verify practitioners through the Australian Massage Directory before booking an appointment.
This alert follows ongoing media reports, consumer complaints, and industry concerns involving individuals who booked what they thought was a legitimate massage therapy health service but mistakenly attended premises offering sexual services presented as massage therapy.
We emphasise that this alert is not directed at lawful sex work, but the confusion caused by the inappropriate overlap of sex work with the provision of professional massage therapy health services.
How to ensure you book the service you intend
Search the Australian Massage Directory to confirm the practitioner is listed:
- Check qualifications and association membership on the directory to ensure the provider meets professional standards.
- Prioritise practitioners who have completed the Certified Practitioner® Program
- Review the Practitioner’s website and service descriptions carefully before booking
- Contact the provider directly if you are unsure about the nature of the services offered.
What to do if you experience an offer of sexual contact without your consent
The National Code of Conduct for Health Workers expressly prohibits massage therapists or myotherapists from sexual relations or intimate relations with clients.
If you are offered sexual services or are touched inappropriately:
- Politely decline and leave the premises
- Report the incident to your state-based Health Complaints Commissioner, Ombudsman, or police.
Growing Consumer Confusion
Recent media coverage in Queensland and Victoria, where sex work has been decriminalised, has highlighted increasing confusion.
Media reports following Queensland's sex-work decriminalisation reforms have raised concerns about advertising practices, unclear service descriptions, and the difficulty many consumers face in identifying legitimate massage therapy health services.
Community concerns has been raised about the location of sex‑service premises, the lack of regulation around signage and advertising, which prohibits misleading advertising, and the ease with which businesses can present themselves as massage therapy clinics.
Victorian media reports have highlighted cases of community protest and the high number of businesses advertised as legitimate massage providers but that actually offer sexual services.
Impact on Legitimate Practitioners
Incidents of clients mistakenly assuming all massage therapists provide sexual services occur regularly, with professional massage therapists reporting harassment and inappropriate requests. These incidents have also been documented in recent media reports.
This is not theory but a daily occurrence for some legitimate massage therapists.
Despite these concerns, Consumer Affairs Victoria continues to advise that sex‑work advertisements may legally use terms associated with massage services, further contributing to public confusion.
*1Professional massage therapists include qualified remedial massage therapists and myotherapists that have qualifications recognised under the Australian Qualification Framework, and who are members of accredited associations that administer Provider Numbers for health insurance rebates.
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Contact details:
Glenn Schaube [email protected]; 0439320151
