Philippa Tolley heads out to the red light areas of NZ's main centres to hear the stories of those working from the street.

The image of a woman soliciting from the streets is frequently used as the face of prostitution.

In reality it's the smallest part of the industry. But why would someone choose a cold pavement over a warm brothel?

Philippa Tolley and Rebekah Parsons-King head to the streets and find out why.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details