Should Prostitution Be Legal?

Some say prostitution is the world 's oldest profession. Yet, only a small percentage of the world’s government allows it. The legalization of prostitution is a very controversial topic due to many people’s moral beliefs. Prostitutes all over the world are treated as outcasts. A reason for people to be against prostitution could be due to their religious beliefs, moral standpoints, or lack of knowledge over the subject. Many religions state that sex outside of marriage is a sin and those who do it should be looked down upon. Due to these beliefs people tend to be against the legalization of prostitution. Though there are many facts that show that prostitution should be legalized. Prostitution should be legalized in the United States because then it can be regulated, would help the economy, and would lower the prison population and crimes against prostitutes.

In some form or other, prostitution has been recognized throughout history and all over the world. There

Prostitution is an issue that has been debated in many countries. 22 countries have legalized prostitution. In the United States, prostitution is only legal in 11 rural counties in Nevada. It used to be legal in Rhode Island due to a loophole, but since 2009, it has been illegal 1. Women are not the only ones who are prostitutes, about 20 to 30% of prostitutes are male 2, which means both genders are affected by laws against prostitution. Men and women should be allowed to choose how they want to use their bodies how they wish, and that includes prostitution.

Often called the worlds oldest profession prostitution has existed for centuries, despite this many people look down upon prostitution especially people who hold conservative and religious views because prostitution is the sale of sex for money these people believe that it is a sign of societies moral decay. Different societies hold different views and opinions on prostitution some object the thought of legalization while others go aboard with it. This topic is very broad

In order to answer this question, it is important to first understand the histories of both prostitution and human trafficking. Often dubbed “the world’s oldest profession”, prostitution can be found in the records of most major civilizations throughout human history. The first known reference to

Prostitution is said to be “the world’s oldest profession” (Ramchandran par. 1). The Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines prostitution as “the act or practice of engaging in promiscuous sexual relations especially for money” (“Prostitution” par. 1). Many people argue that prostitution should be legalized, but it hurts people more than it helps. Legalization of prostitution condones sexual behavior for profit. Not to mention, the increased risk of illness or infection via sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), or death. It also does not “enhance women’s choices” (Raymond par. 45). This means that whether

“Prostitution isn 't inherently immoral, any more than running a company like Enron is inherently immoral. It 's how you do it that counts. And the reality is that it will happen anyway. It 's not called the world 's oldest profession for nothing. Why not make it, at the least, safe and productive?” -JEANNETTE ANGELL of A Wellness Perspective on Prostitution, Freedom, Religion, and More", Seek Wellness, Apr. 30, 2005. Prostitution, known as the world 's oldest profession, and it exists everywhere. In the event you leave the country, and go to a whole new country, there is a guarantee you would find prostitutes. People say that prostitution is wicked because it is a disgrace to society, and no one should go into that profession, because it can get the prostitutes into dangerous situations. One instance of this that no one takes into consideration, that the girls or guys are making money off of this. If they are making money, then they help the economy the same way anyone is at their job. Prostitution should be more considered as a legalized job. People will not stop, so why not take advantage, and make laws to help protect the men and women.

A nineteenth century San Francisco song reads, “The miners came in forty-nine, the whores in fifty-one; and when they got together they produced the native son.” This sheds some light as to how long prostitution has been a part of America. Prostitution dates back to the beginning of colonization in the United States, but wasn’t considered a legal act. At the time the laws just didn’t acknowledge what a prostitute or the act of prostitution itself was. In 1721, the French government shipped eighty women to the colony of New Orleans that housed seven hundred men to promote marriage. Also, as a means to detour the men from having relations with the Native American women. However, the women sent were previous prostitution offenders in France,

“Prostitution, often known as the world’s oldest profession, can be traced throughout recorded history,” (Lerner, 236). Prostitution has been a part of history since the beginning of human civilization. One of the first recorded mentions of prostitution was found in ancient Sumerian records from 2400BC listed among other professions such as doctor, scribe, etc. Many countries are in a constant debate over whether or not it is unconstitutional to make prostitution illegal. Currently there are around 80 countries in the world that have legalized prostitution and around 100 countries that have declared it illegal. Germany is one of the countries with the most widespread prostitution industry. Prostitution was declared legal in Germany as of 2002 and since

Sexual services have been part of societies for millennia. They date back to as early as ancient Mesopotamia, in which females were spiritually obligated to demonstrate Babylonian hospitality by engaging foreigner in sexual intercourse. Over time, the subject of prostitution has surfaced in spiritual and social discussion, and more recently into legal and moral discourses with an emphasis on the rights of sex workers. Since the recent phenomenon of advanced women’s rights through rigorous activist groups in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, propelling the advancement of women’s rights movements began to immerge in the first world. At its core, prostitution is not an individual issue, but rather, a societal issue, and

Prostitution has underlyingly lingered in the history of the United States from the beginning of English settlements. In the industrial times, five percent of the population of women working were prostitutes. During the migration to the West, prostitutes were the majority- if not the only women in boom towns. Not until 1875, were there any laws officially banning prostitution. The Page law was created when Chinese immigrant women become prostitutes or second wives to European men. The law banned immigrant women from immoral purposes. Moving further in time, in 1949, a United Nations convention met in the purpose for the decriminalization of prostitution. Forty-eight countries decided to endorse it, the United States voted against it.

Prostitution should remain illegal do to the fact it is dehumanizing to women, love, and self-respect. Prostitution is dehumanizing to the women who practice it because it shows to regular people that prostitutes are whores. Reason why the public eye thinks prostitutes are whores because you’re selling your body to a random stranger you don’t even know. In prostitution men remove women's humanity. With that said, buying a woman in prostitution gives men the power to turn women into a living breathing masturbation fantasy; He removes herself and those qualities that define her as an individual, and for him she becomes sexualized body parts.

Prostitution is defined as the act of “providing or receiving sexual acts, between a prostitute and a client, in exchange for money or some other form of remuneration” (Hock 557). The idea of exchanging sex for valuables has been around since the beginning of human society. The first reported data about prostitution was reported around 3000 B.C.E in one of the first known civilizations, Mesopotamia (Caraboi and Fierbinteanu 362). It is often referred to as “the world’s oldest profession.” Today, even though prostitution is illegal in most parts of the world, it is still prevalent worldwide with different ways to exchange sexual services for payment and many different types of prostitutes. One of these types of prostitutes are brothel workers; brothel workers work in “a house of prostitution,” a brothel, which are normally in areas where prostitution is not criminalized or is legalized (Hock 560). Like prostitution, human trafficking has been around for thousands of years and is still present today.

Prostitution, the act of “providing or receiving sexual acts, between a prostitute and a client, in exchange for money or some other form of remuneration” (Hock 557). The idea of exchanging sex for valuables has been seen since the beginning of human society; the first reported data about prostitution was reported around 3000 B.C.E in one of the first known civilizations, Mesopotamia (Caraboi and Fierbinteanu 362). Also, prostitution is often referred to as “the world’s oldest profession.” Today, even though prostitution is illegal in most parts of the world, it is still prevalent worldwide with many different types of prostitutes and different ways to exchange sexual services for payment. An example of a type of prostitute is brothel workers; brothel workers work in “a house of prostitution,” a brothel, which are normally in areas where prostitution is not criminalized (Hock 560). Like prostitution, human trafficking has been around for thousands of years and is still present today.

In terms of sociology, Prostitution is a way for an individual to maximize their monetary intake or in other words “benefits” by selling the thing that they have readily, their bodies. In other words, it is the act or practice of participating in promiscuous sexual activity especially for money. Prostitution has been in existence for ages, going back to the Byzantine, Roman, Greek, and Egyptian Empires. Ironically, the ancient religions of those eras dealt with the needs of the group and consequently developed protocols for dealing with sexual relations that have propagated throughout time to the modern era. As a result, prostitution is not about to disappear anytime soon, despite relatively recent local laws. Also throughout centuries,