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 constructions we are taught to follow. Prostitution is victimless and is nothing but an exchange of currency for services. Fifty-eight percent of American prostitutes reported a violent assault at the hands of clients and as a society, it is our duty to minimize the struggles
However, we as a society we need to realize that prostitution has been in our society since the beginning of civilization and calling it immoral when sex workers are just trying to earn money to survive is morally wrong because they are not hurting anyone. As a matter fact, the majority of the women who enter prostitution do it because they are financially disadvantaged and have no other options. Furthermore, criminalizing someone because of their profession is immoral because it's how they are trying to survive. Providing people with a safe way to live their life is the moral thing to do. I’m aware that in our society there are those who have the sentiment that prostitution is inherently immoral, however, I would argue that universally, exchanging services for money is a business ideal that is considered permissible in every society and even encouraged in most, so there really is no harm in legal prostitution. As long as no one is harmed in the process of prostitution can be an honest way of earning
Sex workers who are younger and poorer tend to suffer from more violence than other victims of sexual violence. Therefore legalization would mean that there would be a legal age to enter prostitution and social services would be able to protect at-risk youth from being hurt. Sex workers who are violently assaulted by a client do not report the crime because prostitution is illegal. Sexual predators and criminals get away with committing a crime because they find the most vulnerable people in our society. “Rates of sexual and physical violence against sex workers are lower in contexts where sex work is not criminalized” (Koster). Legalization of prostitution would decrease violence against sex workers because they would be able to report when they are a victim of a
As prostitution is criminalized, this profession is driven underground which undermines the safety of prostitutes. Legalizing prostitution would provide sex workers with regulatory protection and allow this form of work to be recognized as legitimate. As the author of “Think Again: Prostitution” states, “evidence shows, that criminalization of sale or purchase (or both) makes sex workers-many of whom come from marginalized social groups like women, minorities, and the poor-more vulnerable to violence and discrimination committed by law enforcement. Also, criminalization can dissuade sex workers from seeking help from authorities if they are raped, trafficked, or otherwise abused.” Therefore, sex workers are subjected to unfair treatment that could be prevented if this work was legalized and safe conditions were enforced. The author of "Counterpoint: Prostitution Should Be Legalized” states, “prostitution is legalized and regulated in a variety of developed nations throughout ...
For instance, while every industry that operates in the US has labor rights associated with it, prostitutes have no guarantees in their work. No one has to provide a prostitute with “rights like a minimum wage, freedom from discrimination, and a safe work environment” (Fuchs). With regulations in place after decriminalizing the profession, prostitutes can be better protected against STIs. This could be accomplished by requiring “sex workers to use condoms and get tested for sexually transmitted diseases” (Fuchs). They will have a greatly decreased chance of contracting disease if they turn down clearly infected clients, and make all clients, whether clean or not, wear condoms. If they were working outside of the law they would feel less incline to do this and would then be at great risk for contracting disease. Illegal prostitutes actually have motives for not using condoms since in cities like New York, “cops were actually using condoms found on women as evidence in criminal prostitution cases against them” (Fuchs). This practice provides the perfect stage for STIs to go wild and spread like fire, with HIV being in the forefront and becoming an even larger epidemic then it is. Giving them labor rights will give them the ability to unionize and fight for their rights together, transferring the power in the business to the workers instead of their bosses, like pimps and brothel owners. With regulations eliminating the pimps, one source of violence is removed from the business. Customers are the other major source of violence and, with legalization, prostitutes would be able to rely on law enforcement to protect them instead of detaining them. Studies have found that among prostitutes “82% had been assaulted and 68% had been raped while working” (Fuchs) and “they were 18 times more likely to be murdered than non-prostitutes their age and race” (Fuchs). This could be
Prostitution has been as issue in many societies around the world for almost all of recorded history. There has been evidence of brothels and prostitution dating far back into human history. Many different societies have different views, ideals, and reservation about the matter. Some cultures around the world view it as a necessary evil for people who need to support themselves and their families. Others view it as morally evil and socially destructive; helping to rot our society from the inside out. Even still there are cultures who don’t view it as evil at all and even a normal part of life. A person’s view on the act is formed largely based on the culture they are living in. Even sub cultures inside of larger one can have different view on the matter, such as religious groups that denounce it, to some groups in the same culture that say it is okay. Even the gauge of how industrialized a country can determine how that culture views prostitution, with many third world countries being more lenient on the matter, and many first world countries being much more strict on the matter, such as the some of the countries in Europe and also the United States.
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...
The problem with legalizing prostitution is it promotes human trafficking, exploits women, and presents traffickers with a bigger industry. Human Trafficking is trading human beings for sex, labor, or any other force trade. Prostitution enforces human trafficking. The number of women enslaved daily is greatly increasing, because the sex industry is growing fast. This is a major problem for our generation and for generations to come.
Prostitution is a word that is not unknown us, and many of us are more than familiar with it. It isn 't a secret that it exists, so why is the concept so highly misunderstood? We don 't typically hear any discussions about the profession. Most of the time, we hear teens throwing around the word "whore" at anyone who dares to wear promiscuous clothing. The definition of prostitution is that a person offers sex for the transaction of money, goods, or services. Believe it or not, many sex workers are proud of what they do, and they earn an honest day 's worth in their book. Regardless of whether or not it is legal, people will still buy and sell sex whenever they get the chance- that 's why they call it the world 's oldest profession. Is it okay
Prostitution is one of the most debated of the victimless crimes, because the US has been "slow" in adopting it legally. Only ten Nevadian counties out of the entirety of the 50 United States have passed laws that legalize prostitution, while in Holland prostitution is a recognized occupation. Holland even has a union for prostitutes. It is argued by proponents of legalized prostitution that the business is ...
Sherman Alexie and Richard Wright are famous writers who faced a lot of different problems and challenges. Alexie was born on October 7, 1966, and grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Also, he was born with brain disease and at six months underwent a difficult operation. He learned to read by age three, and his first book was the graphic novel about Superman. Which kindled a lifelong love of reading in him.
In conclusion, prostitution is said to be the world’s oldest profession. Prostitution has evolved throughout the years and it has caused much controversy cross-culturally and historically and which has many individuals reexamining the logistics of it. It has affected our society in many ways, for it could be looked at as a harmful threat just as a way to get by and pay the bills.
Prostitution is the occupational service where sexual acts are exchanged for payment. Opinions of prostitution have changed drastically over the course of half a century, and are being debated worldwide. Prostitution is a very controversial topic, however there are claims that legalizing prostitution could create an overall safer environment, not only for the sex workers but the rest of society. There has been many alterations in prostitution laws and enforcement practices in several countries. Many nations have created new laws or intensified existing penalties for prostitution-related offences such as soliciting sex, purchasing sex, or pimping. Some other societies are experimenting with policies that securitize prostitution.The claims proposing these regulations are important because they are directly opposed to both the conventional benefits of prostitution and the specific allegations of anti-prostitution crusaders. In Canada and the UK, the exchange of sex for money is not illegal. However, the activities that go along with prostitution are criminal offences.“In March 2012, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a ban on establishments for the purposes of prostitution, which effectively makes street prostitution illegal. In the US, most jurisdictions, prostitution, solicitation, or agreeing to engage in an act of prostitution are classified as illegal. With the exception of licensed brothels in certain areas in Nevada. In the Netherlands,prostitution was legalized in the mid-1800s but it wasn’t until recently, the 1980s sex work became a legal profession. Restrictions on brothels and pimping were lifted in October 2000 and the industry is now securitized by labour law. Prostitutes are registered as legal workers....
In conclusion, prostitution should be legalized for the well being of all parties. Labor laws would protect prostitutes, money would be saved on pointless investigations, and the number of Sexually Transmitted Diseases could be potentially decreased. Legalized prostitution could be altered to protect women; laws have to be specific and strict. Prostitution is inevitable, and those who practice it are not criminals.
First, Prostitution shouldn’t be criminalized because it is a victimless crime. In no way is there a victim in what prostitutes do, of course you could argue that the spreading of diseases could be a victim. But the fact that it could happen during regular intercourse should completely nullify that argument in favor of legalizing. Criminalizing prostitution is a way for slowing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases; it is not a way to confront the problem of STD’s. We saw this quite clearly in the time of alcohol prohibition in this country. “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. –Unknown
Little do most know, but on “[a]verage [prostitution] arrest[s], court and incarceration costs amount to nearly $2,000 per arrest. Cities spend an average of 7.5 million dollars on prostitution control every year, ranging from 1 million dollars to 23 million dollars.” Prostitution is the oldest known profession. Currently in 49 countries and counting prostitution is legal. Here in America there is a stigma following the label prostitute. We would rather resort to underground markets of sex labor. Endangering health, rights, and economics. Legalizing prostitution can reduce health hazards by giving heath care, also by giving rights to those that choose prostitution as their profession. In the long term this
There are many reasons why prostitution is illegal some do make sense on why it is illegal. That still doesn’t mean that the government can tell us what to do with our life choices. A reason why it is illegal is because of homicide. How this works is by the customer promising a big load of cash. Then when they are done he or she does not pay and then kills the prostitute. Unfortunately, sometimes it could be the customer that gets killed just like what Aileen Wuornos did. Aileen Wuornos was a former prostitute that found a way to make easy money without having sex. Instead of having sex with the customer she would kill them and take their money. From her crime that she committed I can understand why it is illegal. The only problem with that not everyone wants to have sexual intercourse with a prostitute. It is basically like doing drugs or drinking underage or not there are people who want to do it then there are people who chose not to do it. I am not saying doing drugs and drinking is not a proud thing to do, but it is a human right
According to ProCon.org, prostitution was a profession that dated back to 2400 B.C. Though many things since then have changed, the practice of selling sex has been more or less the same. What has changed is the way that people now view the practice. Throughout the years the debate has been whether prostitution should become legal or illegal. Organizations like Amnesty International want to push forward the idea of legalizing consensual “sex work” between two adults who are willingly participating because it would help keep those in that line of work safer than they are now. While on the other side of the issue there are