Prostitution Should Be Legal Essay

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Prostitution Should be Legal

Referred to as the “oldest profession”, prostitution “. . . has long been a problem which

has provoked and disturbed Americans” (Kinsie 3). “Prostitution [is] the performance of sexual

acts, solely for the purpose of material gain” (James [NA]). Prostitution remains, excepted and

considered normal in some cultures. No gender specifics exist for prostitutes , but female

prostitutes comprise the majority of prostitutes. A person male and married characterizing the

majority of prostitutes clients, commonly referred to as a “John”. Surprisingly, but true, US

prostitutes work legally in some areas. “Prostitution is currently illegal in all 50 states” (Flowers

8), with the exception of 12 rural counties in Nevada. A variety of different types of prostitutes

exist: streetwalkers, call girls, massage parlor/brothel/in house prostitutes, madams, indentured

sex slaves, escort service prostitutes, professional dominatrics, homeless, drug addicted and part

time prostitutes (Flowers 18, 19). In 1995, approximately 95,000 arrests were made (70%

female prostitutes, 20% male prostitutes and 10% customers), mostly streetwalkers; a

misdemeanor typically resulting in a fine, occasionally a 30-day jail term. More importantly than

numbers, what motivates one to choose a career of prostitution? Perhaps persuasion, coercion,

abuse, addiction or poor conditions/lifestyle and the financial lure. Legalizing prostitution ensures

regulation and taxation, allowing the police to deal with more violent crimes and reduce the abuse

of prostitutes by “Pimps”.

There remain many reasons why one may favor the illegal status of prostitution. Some

see the “profession” as exploitive to women, a “. . . form of sexual slavery” (Abraham 1).

Feminists claim that prostitution reinforces the status that women represent objects, undoing the

prevails of women in the past. Yet still, many believe in neo-Victorism, a condescending belief

that prostitutes are unaware of their action and need someone with more education to protect

them (Abraham 1). Much of the public describes the profession of prostitution as dirty,

immoral and degrading. For many, prostitution results in a destructive, abusive “career” in which

Pimps, those who “own” and distribute prostitutes for the benefit of financial gain, and Johns

abuse and violate women. Prostitution also greatly affects the community and the public.

Those who use prostitutes for their pleasure risk the contraction of diseases, thus spreading with

each new sexual partner, endangering the lives of many.

Although valid reasons justify why one would want to keep prostitution with an illegal

status, the benefits far out way the negative aspects of prostitution. Legalizing the profession

increases the quality of lives for those who partake in prostitution as a career and those who “use”

the business they offer. Legalization of prostitution allows regulation, requiring medical

examination of prostitutes on a regular basis, helping to reduce the transfer of STDs and

communicable diseases. According to the US Department of Health, 3% to 5% of STDs in the

United States are linked to prostitutes...

Abraham, Yvonne and Sarah McNaught. “Prostitution 101”. 27 Oct - 30 Oct 1997. The Boston
Phoenix. 29 Nov. 1999..
Flowers, R. Barri. “Defining Prostitutes and Prostitution”. The Prostitution of Women and
Girls. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 1998
James, Jennifer. “Prostitution”. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000 : CD-ROM. 1993-1999
Microsoft Corp.
Kinsie, Paul and Charles Winick. “Views of Prostitution”. The Lively Commerce - Prostitution
in the United States. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, Inc., 1971
“Prostitution in the United States - The Statistics”. 1980-present. Prostitutes Education
Network. 23 Nov. 1999. .
Works Consulted
Abraham, Yvonne and Sarah McNaught. “Prostitution 101”. 27 Oct - 30 Oct 1997. The Boston
Phoenix. 29 Nov. 1999..
Bastow, Karen. “Prostitution and HIV/AIDS”. HIV/AIDS Policy and Law Newsletter. 1995
Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. 23 Nov. 1999. .
Barry, Kathleen. “Unmasking Social Oppression”. Female Sexual Slavery. New York: New
York University Press, 1979.
Flowers, R. Barri. “Defining Prostitutes and Prostitution”. The Prostitution of Women and
Girls. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 1998
James, Jennifer. “Prostitution”. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000 : CD-ROM. 1993-1999
Microsoft Corp.
Kinsie, Paul and Charles Whick. “Views of Prostitution”. The Lively Commerce - Prostitution in
the United States. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, Inc., 1971.
“Legalized Prostitution”. 30 Nov 1999.
“Prostitution in the United States - The Statistics”. 1980-present. Prostitutes Education
Network. 23 Nov. 1999. .
Sheehy, Gail. “The New Breed”. Hustling - Prostitution in Our Wide Open Society. New York:
Delecorte Press, 1971, 1972, 1973. You should cite this paper as follows:

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