Legalization of Prostitution in the United States of America

1988 Words4 Pages

In his book Love For Sale, Nils Johan Ringdal wrote, “If nobody wants to sell sex, it is a crime to force anyone to do so. But when men or women do want to sell their bodies, they should have that full right without encountering punishment or discrimination.” Prostitution, often described as the world’s oldest profession is a legitimate criminal offence in 109 countries of the world today (“Human Trafficking Statistics”). Laws on prostitution vary considerably from country to country: in some countries it is punishable by death penalty ("Iran - Facts on Trafficking”), in some it is a crime punishable by prison sentence, while in other jurisdictions, it is a lesser administrative offense punishable only with a fine ("The Sentencing and Punishment”). Punishments are usually more severe for the sex workers and pimps than for the solicitors of prostitution. In the United States of America, prostitution is illegal in all of its 50 states with the exception of the state of Nevada. Nevada is the only U.S. state with allows legal prostitution in some of its rural counties. Occupational health and safety laws are applied to the brothels in these counties but the sex workers elsewhere in the country still remain exposed to the threat of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and violence from pimps and customers. Prostitution exists in various forms in the States: street prostitution, escort prostitution, and brothel prostitution (Harcourt). It has been estimated that the sum total of the revenue generated by the underground prostitution industry in the U.S. is about $14.6 billion (“Prostitution Revenue”), the fifth highest in the world (about 8% of the total annual worldwide revenue). If prostitution were made legal, it would increase the U... ... middle of paper ... .... 09 Apr. 2014. "Sex Work and the Law in Asia and the Pacific." (2012): n. pag. UNDP. Web. 06 Apr. 2014. "Sex Worker Rights." NSWP.org. American Jewish World Service, July 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. "Sex Workers and HIV/AIDS." HIV and AIDS Information and Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2014. "The NAYked Truth." Prostitution: The Economic and Criminal Justice Benefits of Legalization. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. "The Sentencing and Punishment of Prostitution." Laws.com. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. Weitzer, Ronald. "Prostitution: Facts and Fiction." Gwu.edu. George Washington University, 2007. Web. 08 Apr. 2014. "UNAIDS Guidance Note on HIV and Sex Work." Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) (2009): n. pag. UNAIDS. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. "US and State Prostitution Arrests, 2001-2010 - Prostitution - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Pros And Cons Of Legalizing Prostitution

    705 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prostitution has been called the world’s oldest profession, yet it is still criminalized. In the United States, prostitution is illegal except for the state of Nevada, where only certain counties have legalized prostitution. Prostitution has been criminalized in our society and we associate prostitution with something illegal and immoral because we are taught that it is detrimental to our society. Stigmatization of prostitution is as conventional as any other form of social construction we are taught to follow. Prostitution is victimless and is nothing but an exchange of currency for services.

    Read More

  • The Oppression of Women

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs. “The Link Between Prostitution and Sex Trafficking.” Women’s Rights. Ed. Jennifery Curry. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 2005. 99-101. Print.

    Read More

  • The Harmful Effects of Juvenile Prostitution

    1762 Words  | 4 Pages

    Kathleen Barry, 1995, the Prostitution of Sexuality, New York University Press. Professor of Law, Calgary University, Canada, 1995

    Read More

  • Decriminalization Of Prostitution

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    The proposed legalization of prostitution is not a new debate, nor is it a subject that has been overlooked in research. The term prostitution is best defined as any situation in which one person pays another for sexual gratification (Greenberg, Bruess, & Oswalt, 2014). Though there are many types of sex workers such as strippers, bar girls, and phone sex operators, this argument will focus solely on those in the business of trading physical sex for money or bartering. Prostitution is already legal in eleven cities in Nevada and should be permitted throughout the remainder of the United States. Nevada’s legal prostitution areas will be used as a prime example as to the many benefits of nationwide legalization such as decreased sexual violence crime rates, economic development, health benefits and protection of the workers, and optimal laws that at the very least decriminalize organized prostitution. In this paper, I challenge to change the perception of prostitution in today’s society by providing many of the most common arguments used to defend it, so that an unbiased judgment may finally be considered in the legalization and decriminalization of prostitution in organized sanctions such as brothels and businesses promoting sex (i.e: Strip clubs, massage parlors, and fetish clubs).

    Read More

  • The Oldest Profession in the World

    2131 Words  | 5 Pages

    Barbara Holland defines prostitution as“…the oldest profession in the world and is the act or practice of engaging in sexual acts.” However, prostitution is not a new concept in current times; it has been around for centuries. Gerdes states that prostitution is the act of two adults entering a room, agreeing on a price, and having sex. Although this profession has grown rapidly throughout times, it is still illegal and costing the U.S. millions to fight. Prostitution creates a world full of crime and violence. It is also encouraging both young and old, typically women, to sell their bodies, which is causing severe health risks to society in the spreading of sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s). Sexually transmitted diseases are various infectious diseases that are transmitted through sexual intercourse or other intimate sexual contact. Although society has a variety of viewpoints on the practice of prostitution, it an increasing trend that is detrimental to society. Prostitution has issues regarding legal standpoints on the business, the rapid spread of STD’s throughout the human environment, and the morality issues of the practice.

    Read More

  • Decriminalize Prostitution

    1430 Words  | 3 Pages

    Seventy-seven countries have made prostitution legal thus far and some believe the United States should allow the legalization of prostitution. One reason why is because prostitutes are not protected against violence and crime. Prostitution is unregulated therefore when prostitutes turn to the authorities for help when exposed to violence they are often arrested (“Prostitution” 1). The death rate for prostitutes in the US is two-hundred and four out of every hundred thousand. Additionally, the average prostitute gets physically attacked at least once a month (“Prostitution” 2). Due to the lack of law enforcement protecting them, prostitutes are easy targets for violence because of their vulnerability. Many human-rights groups argue that “criminalization makes it more likely that the rights of sex workers will be violated” (Picard 1). Furthermore, advocates believe abolishing prostitution would lead to the expansion of human and trafficking, which defeats the purpose of criminalizing prostitution (Picard 1).

    Read More

  • Legalizing Prostitution

    872 Words  | 2 Pages

    Brenda Myers of Chicago was nine years old when she first learned that prostitution existed. Surprisingly, despite her young age, the idea was not foreign. Myers had been molested for years by a family member. “...well, they’re already taking my panties off…” Myers said. “So, I’ll make them pay for it” (Lydersen). Now picture yourself in fourth grade. Nikki Williams, a case worker from a Portland, Oregon based organization met a jailed twenty year old woman, who at the age of ten, at the end of her fourth grade year, was a drug-addicted prostitute (Lydersen). Both of these stories highlight two prevalent causes of prostitution: sexual abuse and drugs. Prostitution should not be legalized in America because it is built on the very foundation

    Read More

  • Summary: The Debate Over Decriminalizing Prostitution

    610 Words  | 2 Pages

    Due to the extensive amount of sexual partners sex workers have, higher rates of HIV than those of the general population are found among them. Although these individuals are the ones that need sexual health care more than most, with prostitution being illegal, it is difficult for sex workers to get the proper care they deserve. In turn, criminalizing prostitution contributes to the widespread HIV pandemic. In The Debate over

    Read More

  • Criminalizing Prostitution

    1980 Words  | 4 Pages

    Washington Post's PostGlobal website Melissa Ditmore, PhD Coordinator of the Global Network of Sex Work ProjectsFeb. 28, 2007

    Read More

  • Regulating Prostitution

    4811 Words  | 10 Pages

    Brockett, L. and A. Murray (1994). Thai sex workers in Sydney. Sex Work and Sex Workers in Australia. R. Perkins, G. Prestage, R. Sharp and F. Lovejoy (editors). Sydney, University of New South Wales Press.

    Read More

  • The Legalization of Prostitution

    1291 Words  | 3 Pages

    First off, let’s clear up any of the stereotypes that are involved with the title of “sex worker.” The most common misconception about prostitutes is that they are all women. In fact, this profession, even though it is dominated by women, has men that participate and give their sexual services to women. Another mislead belief if that all members involved in sex work or heterosexual. Gays, lesbians, and even transgendered people work in the sex industry. Most people also believe that prostitutes are drug addicted whores. This, of course, isn’t true. Most of the sex workers are not drug addicts, there is nothing to say that would propose that the dependency the sex workers have on drugs is any different from the rest of the population. However, one of the biggest stereotypes on sex workers is that they are poor, uneducated citizens that come from the lower part of our social classes. This is, in no means, true. In fact, there was a doctor, Dr. Brooke Magnanti, who was, whole studying to become a research scientist, working as a sex worker...

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects Of Prostitution In Vietnam

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    The definition of prostitution is “The practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment [2]” or “Accepting money for sexual services, or selling integrity for an unworthy purpose [3]”. Prostitution itself is an old profession, and “is considered to be the oldest profession known to mankind”, it has been ubiquitous from the times of the ancient civilizations such as Greece and Rome to today’s “red light” districts. In the modern world, prostitution is becoming a vital problem for many countries. II. Legalizing prostitution in the world

    Read More

  • Forced Prostitution Essay

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    The battle against forced prostitution or sex trafficking often becomes confused with the fight against free prostitution when there is no distinction according to the laws. Prostitution can be free or it can be forced and the only way to help the real victims is to distinguish between the two. The first step in getting a handle on human trafficking is to legalize prostitution. Those who oppose any form of prostitution dispute the fact that legalization is not the answer. According to their view, sex trafficking or forced prostitution would not exist without the demand for commercial sex. Prostitution encourages the growth of human trafficking by providing a cover in which the traffickers can hide behind in order to sexually exploit women

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Legalization Of Prostitution

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    The increased globalization of the world has had a profound effect on human rights, and has further muddied the unclear distinction between sex trafficking and prostitution. Prostitution has been a moral quandary for society for centuries, and the debate regarding it has risen into the political arena as legislators discuss legalizing prostitution. As there is a societal debate, there is also a political and academic debate regarding the merits of legalization and prohibition of prostitution. Current scholars discuss the implications of legalizing prostitution and its effects on sex trafficking, while also considering the current limits within legislation.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Qualitative And Quantitative Research

    896 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sterk, C. , (2000). Tricking and Tripping: Fieldwork on Prostitution in the Era of AIDS. Book.

    Read More

More about Legalization of Prostitution in the United States of America

Open Document