PROSTITUTION

INTRODUCTION

Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange

for sexual

activity in exchange for payment. The definition of “sexual activity” varies, and is

often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse non-

penetrative sex, oral sex, etc.) with the customer. The requirement of physical contact

also creates the risk of transmitting diseases. Prostitution is sometimes described as

sexual services, commercial sex or, colloquially, hooking. It is sometimes referred to

euphemistically as “the world’s oldest profession “, in the English-speaking words. A

person who works in this field is called a prostitute, and often a sex worker.

(Wikipedia)

Own Perspective on the issue

It is the practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for immediate

payment in money or other valuables. The main problem of the prostitution is because

some women needs money to support themselves and their children. Prostitution is

just the same as abuse many were abused as children, either physically or sexually or

both. Many street prostitutes are running away from abusive situation.
Arguments at Issue
 Argument summaries

According to Britannica practice of engaging in sexual activity, usually with

individuals other than a spouse or friend, in exchange for immediate payment in

money or other valuables. Prostitutes may be of either sex and may engage in either

heterosexual or homosexual activity, but historically most prostitution has been by

females with males as clients. Prostitution is a very old and universal phenomenon;

also universal is condemnation of the prostitute but relative indifference toward the

client. Prostitutes are often set apart in some way. In ancient Rome they were required

to wear distinctive dress; under Hebrew law only foreign women could be prostitutes;

and in pre-World War II Japan they were required to live in special sections of the

city. In medieval Europe prostitution was licensed and regulated by law, but by the

16th century an epidemic of venereal disease and post-Reformation morality led to the

closure of brothels. International cooperation to end the traffic in women for the

purpose of prostitution began in 1899. In 1921 the League of Nations established the

Committee on the Traffic in Women and Children, and in 1949 the UN General
Assembly adopted a convention for the suppression of prostitution. In the U.S.

prostitution was first curtailed by the Mann Act (1910), and by 1915 most states had

banned brothels (Nevada being a notable exception). Prostitution is nevertheless

tolerated in most U.S. and European cities. In the Netherlands many prostitutes have

become members of a professional service union, and in Scandinavia government

regulations emphasize hygienic aspects, requiring frequent medical examination and

providing free mandatory hospitalization for anyone found to be infected with

venereal disease. Prostitutes are very often poor and lack other skills to support

themselves; in many traditional societies there are few other available money-earning

occupations for women without family support. In developing African and Asian

countries, prostitution has been largely responsible for the spread of AIDS and the

orphaning of hundreds of thousands of children.

Information that supports the arguments

 Should prostitution be legal? Proponents of legalizing prostitution believe it

would reduce crime, improve public health, increase tax revenue, help people out

of poverty, get prostitutes off the streets, and allow consenting adults to make their

own choices. They contend that prostitution is a victimless crime, especially in the 10

Nevada counties where it remains legal.

Opponents believe that legalizing prostitution would lead to increases in such

as AIDS, global human trafficking, and violent crime including rape and homicide.

They contend that prostitution is inherently immoral, commercially exploitative,

empowers the criminal underworld, and promotes the repression of women by men

evidence for the arguments

The idea that legalizing or decriminalizing commercial sex would reduce its

harms is a persistent myth. Many claim if the sex trade were legal, regulated, and

treated like any other profession, it would be safer. But the research says otherwise.
Countries that have legalized or decriminalized commercial sex often experience a

surge in human trafficking, pimping, and other related crimes. The following research

affirms that legalization or decriminalization is not the answer to reducing the harms

inherent to commercial sex.

1. Prostitution, regardless of whether it’s legal or not, involves so much harm and

trauma it cannot be seen as a conventional business.

• Interviews with prostituted individuals in New Zealand reveal that a

majority of prostituted people in the country did not feel as if

decriminalization had curbed the violence they experience,

demonstrating that prostitution is inherently violent and abusive.

• One study of prostituted women in San Francisco massage parlors

found that 62% had been beaten by customers.

• An investigation of the commercial sex industry in eight American

cities found that 36% of prostituted people reported that their buyers

were abusive or violent.

• The “workplace” homicide rate among prostituted women in Colorado

is seven times higher than what it was in the most dangerous

occupation for men in the 1980s (taxi driver).

2. Prostitution and human trafficking are forms of gender-based violence.

• Most persons in prostitution are either female or transgender (male-to-

female). In contrast, the vast majority of sex buyers are male.6

• Prostituted persons are mostly women and face exceptional risks of

murder7 and violence at the hands of male sex buyers,8 signifying that

the practice is on the continuum of gender-based violence. This

remains true even in areas where prostitution is legal or

decriminalized.9

• In many countries, human trafficking tends to be a result of women’s

“disadvantageous position in the society that is often reflected in

increasing preference for sons and neglect for daughters.”10

3. Legalizing or decriminalizing prostitution has not decreased the prevalence of

illegal prostitution.
 • An investigation commissioned by the European Parliament found that

in countries with legal prostitution, such as Austria, “the effect of

regulation can be a massive increase in migrant prostitution and an

indirect support to the spreading of the illegal market in the sex

industry.”11

• Denmark decriminalized prostitution in 1999, and the government’s

own estimates show that the prevalence increased substantially over

the decade that followed.12

• Interviews with prostituted persons in the Netherlands reported that

“legalization entices foreign women to come to the Netherlands,

causing an increase [in prostitution].”13

4. Legalization or decriminalization has not reduced the stigma faced by

prostituted people. • After New Zealand decriminalized prostitution in 2003,

there were still reports among prostituted persons of “continuing stigma” and

“harassment by the general public.”14 In

5. Legalization or decriminalization increases human and sex trafficking.

 • One study with data from 150 countries found that those with

“legalized prostitution experience a larger reported incidence of

trafficking inflows.”

• Another quantitative analysis similarly reported that sex trafficking is

“most prevalent in countries where prostitution is legalized.”

• Regulated prostitution increases the size of the overall market for

commercial sex, which benefits criminal enterprises that profit from

sex trafficking.

6. Attempts to regulate prostitution have failed and adherence is low.

• A large-scale evaluation of the legalization of prostitution in the

Netherlands, coordinated by the Ministry of Justice, found that

licensed brothels did not welcome frequent regulatory inspections.

This undermines their willingness “to adhere to the rules and

complicates the combat against trafficking in human beings.”

 • A review of the empirical evidence on the Dutch legalization of

prostitution found that many prostituted persons still rely on

anonymity, secrecy, and cash transfers, demonstrating that a legalized

prostitution market operates much like a criminal market.

• New Zealand’s Prostitution Law Review Committee found that a

majority of prostituted persons felt that the decriminalization act

“could do little about violence that occurred.” The Committee further

reported that abusive brothels did not improve conditions for

prostituted individuals; the brothels that “had unfair management

practices continued with them” even after the decriminalization.

7. Attempts to provide prostituted individuals with rights through legalization or

decriminalization have failed.

• New Zealand’s Prostitution Law Review Committee found that after

decriminalizing prostitution, there still is a problem with lack of

respect for employment arrangements among brothel operators.

• The German government’s own evaluation of the 2001 law that

legalized prostitution suggested that fewer than 8% of prostituted

individuals are “officially insured as a prostitute.”

 • It’s estimated that only 1% of prostituted persons in Germany have a

contract of employment.

8. Legalization and decriminalization promotes organized crime.

• Evaluations have found that regulation of prostitution creates a façade

of legitimacy that hides sexual exploitation, and that brothels can

“function as legalized outlets for victims of sex trafficking.”

• An example of how sex trafficking can operate behind a veil of

legalized prostitution is the so-called “Sneep case.” German pimps

traveled across the border to the Netherlands and took over large parts

of the Red Light District in Amsterdam, using intimate relationships

and brutal violence to coerce women to sell sex and hand over their

profits.

Own Position on the Issue

 First point of position

Decriminalization and Regulation: Some argue for the decriminalization of

prostitution, with the implementation of comprehensive regulations to ensure the

safety and well-being of sex workers. Supporters believe that criminalizing

prostitution often leads to the marginalization, stigmatization, and increased

vulnerability of sex workers. By decriminalizing it, they argue that it could help

reduce violence, exploitation, and health risks associated with the industry.

Regulation and oversight would aim to protect the rights and safety of sex

workers, including enforcing consent, ensuring fair working conditions, and

providing access to healthcare and support services.

One commonly discussed viewpoint is the decriminalization and regulation of

prostitution. Advocates argue that by decriminalizing prostitution and

implementing comprehensive regulations, the well-being and safety of sex

workers can be better protected. They believe that criminalization often leads to

the marginalization, stigmatization, and increased vulnerability of sex workers.

With regulation and oversight, it is argued that violence, exploitation, and health

risks associated with the industry can be reduced.

 Second point of position

The second point in the matter of prostitution may be the need to pay attention to the

safety, well-being, and rights of people who decide to become sex workers. Abuse,

violence, and health risks are just some of the issues sex workers face. To address

this, some prostitution groups and supporters believe in providing protection to sex

workers through decriminalization or regulation of the industry. With the promotion

of proper regulation, measures can be implemented to ensure the safety and welfare of

sex workers, such as fairly setting working conditions, enforcing consent, and having

access to health services and support.

 Third point of prostitution

Human Rights Perspective: This perspective emphasizes the importance of respecting

the agency and autonomy of individuals involved in sex work. It focuses on

addressing the underlying factors that lead people into prostitution, such as poverty,

inequality, and lack of education. Human rights advocates argue for comprehensive

social support, economic opportunities, and efforts to combat stigma and

discrimination against sex workers.

In conclusion, prostitution is a multifaceted and contentious topic with a range of

perspectives. The abolitionist viewpoint emphasizes the need to eradicate prostitution,

considering it inherently exploitative. Those advocating for decriminalization argue

for the recognition of sex work as a form of labor and the protection of the rights of

consenting adults involved. Supporters of legalization argue for regulating the

industry to ensure the safety and rights of sex workers. The human rights perspective

stresses the importance of respecting the agency and autonomy of individuals

involved in sex work while addressing the underlying factors that lead people into

prostitution. Given the diverse opinions, there is no single consensus on how to

approach the issue. Public opinion and legal frameworks vary across different

countries and cultures. It is crucial to consider the complexities surrounding

prostitution, such as the experiences and well-being of sex workers, the impact on

society, and the broader social and economic factors at play. Engaging in open,

informed, and compassionate discussions can help foster a better understanding of the

topic and facilitate the development of comprehensive approaches that prioritize the

safety, well-being, and rights of all individuals involved.