Reasons To Decriminalize Prostitution

The word “prostitute” comes from the “Latin term meaning 'to set forth in public ' or 'to be exposed for sale’” (Carrasquillo, 2014, p 701). “Prostitute” today, refers to someone who participates in sexual acts in exchange for money. Prostitution has been labeled as the “world 's oldest profession” but, where exactly did it originate? There have been several studies that indicate prostitution to predate humans. Tesla Carrasquillo noted that “primates have been observed offering sexual services in exchange for food or to avoid an attack” (as cited in Carrasquillo, 2014, p. 698). This would indicate prostitution to have originated before humans. Prostitution in the United States has not always been illegal. However, because prostitution was

One of the grounds to decriminalize prostitution, is to protect sex workers form violence committed against them. Without protection from authorities, prostitutes are more susceptible to rape, theft, and even murder (Comte, 2014, p. 202). As Carrasquillo (2014) informs, “In Oregon, 78% of the prostitutes were raped, 48% by pimps and average of sixteen times per year, 78% by johns[clients] an average of thirty-three times per year (p. 709). These alarming figures show that criminalization has been ineffective. On the other hand, decriminalization and legalization of prostitution would provide prostitutes with the courage to report crimes committed against them (Carrasquillo, 2014, p 713). Hayes-Smith and Shekarkhar (2010) indicate that “the new laws would afford these workers a level of security and protection they have not received” (p. 50). Consequently, protection by police would eliminate the need of pimps; since pimps provide protection to prostitutes they would no longer be necessary, in addition pimps would no longer have the ability to exploit prostitutes (Carrasquillo, 2014, p.

Religious groups see “prostitution as sexual deviance, as a cause for moral decay, and as a threat to marriage because it breaks the link between sex, love, and reproduction” not to mention sinful (Weitzer, 2007, p 451). Extramarital sex is seen as immoral therefore, prostitution is seen as “causing indirect harm to the fabric of our society” (Carrasquillo, 2014, p. 706). They see customers and traffickers as “personification of evil”, as “sex predators that brutalize women”, and traffickers are seen “as predators, rapists, and kidnappers involved in organized crime and sexual slavery” (Weitzer, 2007, p. 452). Religious groups, believe that criminalizing prostitution will deter husbands from committing adultery (Carrasquillo, 2014, p.