Is sex work selling your body? Is doing masonry carpentry or road fixing work anything less than that?
Is sex work ethical? Is working for a weapon manufacture ethical?
I think the point on sex work is a different one: exploitation. That is wrong and should not be allowed or tolerated. But is it avoidable?
The focus should not be on the sex workers tough, but on the clients. The sex workers will always be there as long as there is demand for them.
So, yes, give sex workers the opportunity to work in a safe and not abused environment, so that it can be a choice like any other work. Which means, legalize, regulate, and so on.