I am disturbed by the fact that the entire discussion around choice is abstract. Choice is never abstract. We choose between options that are realistically available to us.
That is precisely my point. Choices that are available to us are contingent upon our wealth, privilege and in general, freedom from oppression.
Perhaps my experience is skewed but the women I have known who work in the sex trade have chosen this work because it was the least horrible available to them.
As I work in addiction treatment, my experience is with women who turn to sex work to pay for their drugs.
I do not walk in their shoes and do not feel I have the right to criticize their choice. It seems to me that a progressive approach to the quandary of the sex trade would be to work at providing realistic alternative choices for the women involved.
Yes, though I would say framing it as not wanting to disrespect the "choice" of engaging in sex work is missing the point. After all, many (most?) people who engage in sex work do so out of economic coercion rather than a free choice. Rather than cringing at the prospect of possibly disrespecting an individual's personal choices, we need to focus on eradicating those systemic injustices that lead to women ending up in sex work.
For instance, amongst women crack-addicted sex workers, the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse approaches 100%.