A recent investigation by Swedish Radio has uncovered that several Thai massage parlours associated with sexual services are listed on Epassi, a digital platform widely used in Sweden for wellness allowances.
The investigation revealed that out of 100 salons contacted, half were willing to let customers use their wellness allowances to pay for services not covered by the scheme, including sexual services.
The wellness allowance is intended for regulated health and fitness activities, such as gym memberships, massage therapy, yoga, and physiotherapy. Since sexual services are neither a recognized medical treatment nor a fitness activity, they do not qualify.
Prostitution is furthermore illegal in Sweden, both for sellers and buyers under the Swedish Sex Purchase Act. This means that regardless of potential well-being benefits, sexual services cannot be recognized as a legitimate health expense. Therefore, neither the Swedish government nor the majority of corporate policies recognize it as part of an employee health program.
The findings raise concerns about the effectiveness of current regulations and oversight mechanisms implemented. The finding also raises questions about the platform’s vetting processes and the possible need for th eplatform to enforce stricter controls to ensure that only non-sexual wellness providers are included.
Source Sverigesradio.se
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