Pornography and Prostitution have much in common, both include compensated consenting adults engaging in sexual activity; however, pornography is legal, and prostitution is not. Webster’s dictionary defines prostitution as “the act or practice of engaging in promiscuous sexual relations especially for money”. Although pornography is somehow widely accepted, it is essentially the same concept as prostitution, both involving consenting adults paid to perform sexual acts. While prostitution is controversial, states making prostitution legal, and equal to pornography, would have positive effects on the nation’s economy by making the profession safer, decreasing the crime rate, and helping the government financially.
A mounting concern to legalizing prostitution is the health implications that it causes. Prostitution is an underground job that appears in the slums of towns, the number of prostitutes and the amount of disease being spread is unknown. One way to combat this is to make prostitution legal, therefore, the men and women would be forced to register as a worker in the sex industry and be routinely tested for disease. Also, certain standards can be placed on the prostitutes, just as they are on the stars in pornographic films, such as policies for condom use. Paul Armentano, a major in Political Science states “In Newark, New Jersey, the estimate is that close to 60% of all prostitutes carry the AIDS virus. Yet, in the relatively "free market" of Nevada, where prostitution is legal, not one (as of 1989) of the state-licensed prostitutes has ever tested positive for AIDS.”(Case). Making prostitution a legitimate business could create the opportunity of health insurance for the men/woman in the industry, therefore making it a ...
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Gormley, Lois. “Prostitution Pumps Millions into Nevada’s economy”. Metro Archives. N.p., N.d. Web. 3, Nov. 2011. < http://www.jour.unr.edu/outpost/community/archives/com.gormley.prostitute.html >
Inflation Rate Calculator. N.p. N.d. Web. 14, Nov. 2011. < http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Inflation_Calculators/Inflation_Rate_Calculator.asp>
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. N.p. 2011. Web. 1, Nov. 2011. < www.merriam-webster.com/ >
Powers, Ashley. “Nevada debates whether to tax its working girls”. Los Angeles Times. N.p. 08, April, 2009. Web. 10, Nov. 2011. < http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/08/nation/na-prostitution-tax8 >
Prostitutes’ Education Network. “How many prostitutes are in the United States and the rest of the world?”. ProCon.org. N.p. 12, May 2008. Web. 14, Nov. 2011. < http://prostitution.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000095 >
Kelly’s article has raised valid points regarding safety to the prostitute within a brothel, but there is so much evidence that proves the ill effects of this experiment in other countries that the evidence cannot be ignored. Although, parts of the sex trade industry may initially see positive results for some of the workers, the majority would end up worse off than before. Due to the illegal nature of this industry and the control exuded by the pimp, the physical and psychological risk to the prostitute, the highly addictive nature of sex, and the organized crime behind the scenes orchestrating and controlling ever aspect of the industry, it is clear that decriminalizing prostitution would result in significant negative affects on society, prostitutes and those with sexual addictions.
Prostitution, as stated by Flemming, is known as a form of sexual activity, a kind of sexual style or category, and a form of economic activity, a way of making a living through the provisions of certain services, by behaving in accordance with, or falling into such a category (39). This definition, though, is controversial. While conducting research for this project, we found that most topics regarding prostitution and its affiliates were controversial. Each author gave a differing interpretation for the same data. Due to this, our project centered on the female prostitutes, even though there is evidence of male prostitutes.
Sterk, Claire E. Tricking and Tripping: Prostitution in the Era of AIDS. Putnam Valley, NY: Social Change Press, 2000
The publisher, The Economist, implies that keeping prostitution illegal is merely a hindrance to business, and that corralling it into licensed brothels or entirely outlawing it does nothing for the “workers”. Despite the fact that the paper does acknowledge that some prostitutes are victims, they feel as though it overall is a voluntary action, simply because they can be found walking the streets alone. “That fiction” of forced labor, they claim, is being uprooted by media in recent years. In Source F, Newsweek writer Leah Goodman points out the omission of the other paper’s information on why women or men choose prostitution in the first place-- if it’s even a choice for them to begin with. The paper also discusses that it would limit brothels and pimping, “making it easier for third parties”. There were no statistics provided to support this claim. Goodman also ensures that she challenges The Economist’s claims, asking who truly would benefit from this sort of legalization. The answer? The 87 percent male readers of The Economist, of course, with an average household net worth of 1.688 million, and an average age of 47. While those statistics on the readers don’t specifically translate to anything more than that they would be capable of affording this type of “luxury item”
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 ...
Esselstyn, T. (1968). Prostitution in the United States. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 367, 123-135. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://ann.sagepub.com/content/376/1/123.full.pdf+html
"US and State Prostitution Arrests, 2001-2010 - Prostitution - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Opponents argue that, prostitution has health effects and that is the reason as to why it remains illegal in most parts of the United States. Prostitution has social economic, physical, and a number of mental implications. The prostitutes and their clients are subject to a nu...
Clemmit, Marcia. “Prostitution Debate.” CQ Press. 18.19 (2008): 435-438. CQ Researcher. Web. 16 Oct. 2015.
Sex is a topic that is rarely openly discussed in America. Some would say that is an example of moral decency, others might argue that this is just a prudish mindset we inherited from early puritan settlers. Sex for pay or prostitution, is one concept so at odds with this taboo that it has been declared immoral and illegal. Forty-eight out of fifty states have decided that prostitution should be illegal. On the surface, this widespread ban on prostitution may appear to combat the spread disease and sex slavery, but, upon further inspection, this assertion might not be supported by facts. The creation of a legal and highly-regulated form of prostitution in the United States could help slow the rate at which sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spread, lower the demand for sex slaves, and improve the quality of life for the prostitutes that already operate in the United States, and should be implemented despite any moral or ethical objections some individuals may have.
... middle of paper ... ... Legalized prostitution would pay: We could tax prostitution in the same way we tax hospitality, often higher than normal sales tax. It can’t be prevented: There’s a reason it’s called “the world’s oldest profession”. It’s always been around, it always will be.
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
Shekarkhar, Zahar, and Rebecca Hayes-Smith. "Why Is Prostitution Criminalized ?An Alternative Viewpoint on the Construction of Sex Work." Research Gate. N.p.: n.p., 2013. Print.
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
Second, prostitution is a great health risk to the U.S. because of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). A major concern about STDs is the spread of AIDS, which is currently a deadly STD because a cure has not been found for the disease. The transmission of STDs is already on the rise due to many uneducated teenagers having unprotected sex. In addition, most of theses teens are not going to a physician to be screened for STDs. Because of this, many curable STDs are going untreated and being spread throughout a community.