The Positive Effects Of The Legalization Of Prostitution

Prostitution has been a part of our world's culture since the beginning of time, and is the world's oldest profession. Prostitution is defined by the Webster dictionary as “the act or practice of engaging in promiscuous sexual relations especially for money.” If prostitution were legalized, there would a reduction in sex crimes, American citizens would have the freedom to choose any profession within the sex industry and it would provide economic benefits for the local and federal governments, as well as the population.

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

In the United States, with the exception of Nevada, prostitution and sex work is illegal. If taxed and regulated, it can bring more benefits not only to the economy but to smaller aspects as well, such as health care and crime rates as opposed to keeping it illegal and penalizing it. Therefore, prostitution and sex work should be legalized in the United States. Prostitution is viewed as bad thing within society, morally; yet the many benefits are often not spoken of, which are that prostitution would lower sexually transmitted diseases and crime rate all while improving health care and the economy. Prostitution is legal within 61 countries, 22 out of the 25 safest countries to live in prostitution is legal according to Procon.org and worldatlas.com.

Throughout history, prostitution has been an issue of intense debates in the US and the larger global society. Many countries legally prohibit prostitution and associated activates. Except Nevada, the United States also illegalizes prostitution. However, the benefit of legalizing prostitution in the US would not only be for the workers but also for the economy as well. It is high time that prostitution be legalized for various reasons.

Whether or not the United States should legalize prostitution is a highly debated social, political, ethical, and cultural issue. Prostitution by definition is to engage in sexual activity with someone for payment. Although many countries and even some rural counties in the U.S. have legalized prostitution, it still has dire effects on the women involved and is an immoral and exploitative act. Prostitution is an unethical and immoral act of exploitative, degrading, and abusive work that the United States should not tolerate. The abolition of prostitution is a legal approach with proven positive results that could dramatically reduce the amount of illegal prostitution and human trafficking taking place in the United States.

There are several reasons that the United States should legalize prostitution in every state as they have in Nevada. If prostitution were legal, licensing and regulation could contribute to making the occupation, which already employs around 1 million people in the United States, much safer. It would also be much more profitable for both the prostitutes and the rest of the country.

The first thing that someone may think about when they hear the word prostitution is that it’s illegal but also dangerous. This is a completely fair claim to make, however if America legalized prostitution, it would be a completely different story. If there was to be a standard policy implemented that would ensure safety in all aspects, prostitution would no longer be viewed as a negative thing. Likewise, nobody would be forced into anything as opposed to those currently involved in the business. Prostitution in America should be legalized because if there was a standard policy, then there would be less health risks, no more danger for the girls involved, and regulations on the market.

Prostitution is a profession that has been around for centuries and has a majority of negative stigmas toward it. People of different genders and sexual practices have found jobs within this industry. They face problems within their line of work due to many areas having this profession marked as illegal. These legal restrictions breed further problems for sex workers ranging from health problems, work environment dangers, and tough economic situations. The idea of legalizing prostitution within the United States has been pitched as a solution to these problems. The negatives ranged from all prostitutes being drug addicts or that legalization of this profession would create many more problems than it would solve. Further examination of the claims for and against the legalization of prostitution nationwide show that the pros of legalization outweigh the cons. If legalized nationwide the sex industry would solve many problems for sex workers and others within the country.

Deep-seated opinions and radical views come and go, but one that prevails (with topics such as the legalization of marijuana) is the legalization of the profession that has been around for thousands of years—prostitution. The dispute over whether prostitution should be legalized has long troubled many American citizens as well as becoming an extremely controversial issue in America. Although many spiteful claims have been made about the act of prostitution, the truths are slowly beginning to resurface. Disregarding moral accounts, there are far more political and diplomatic facets that must be taken into account when making a national decision of this caliber. Prostitution can be used for professional purposes and can also be used as another form of tax revenue and the only people that are benefitting from this business are pimps who are making hefty profits, tax-free. I believe that prostitution should be legalized because it could help the economy and society as a whole; if the government regulated it, it would be a taxable business. Although deemed immoral, Legalizing prostitution comes with a major benefit, a positive economic impact to the country it was legalized in; this reason could help America thrive economically.

Last week our class discussed the multiple thought provoking questions and statements put up on the board. While discussing, I realized that my beliefs are based upon my upbringing. This includes my familial structure, my religion, my parent’s political affiliation, and more. Being that my parents are liberal, I have grown up watching CNN and learning to accept all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and more. I learned through my Judaism and schooling, as well as my peers. My mother also works in the Pennsylvania State Health Department in Sexual Transmitted Diseases and Tuberculosis. With that comes an understanding of the need for public health care and assistance. As I have matured into a young adult, I have continued along the same path.

Thesis: The criminalization of prostitution does more harm than good when often women are left unprotected, both socially and legally, and therefore, the United States should make efforts to decriminalize and regulate prostitution instead.

Lastly, another benefit of legalizing prostitution is having increased tax revenue in the United States. In the Elite Daily, it was reported that in 2007, Atlanta's sex trade was worth $290 million (Haltiwanger). Because sex work is illegal, those who engage in it pay no taxes towards the industry. If sex work was made legal in the United States, those millions of dollars could be funded towards the government, along with the taxes of the workers. Prostitution is a flexible job, where the workers can choose their hours and the prices are usually high. Because of these two factors, and include that sex work was made legal, even more people would become prostitutes. This would lead to even more money to be taxed in order to increase the tax revenue. Also, it was reported that in the years between 2005 and 2011, the average weekly income for pimps came around to $32,833

Weitzer explains that legalization of prostitution would require some regulation such as, “vetting and licensing business owners, registering workers, zoning street prostitution, mandatory medical exams, special business taxes, or officials’ periodic site visits and inspections of legal establishments” (22). If prostitution was legalized it could create numerous jobs such as doctors, nurses, and inspectors. It could also raise money by businesses purchasing licenses and paying taxes.

Legalizing prostitution would be beneficial to the government and sex workers by creating tax revenue, bettering medical care, and protecting prostitutes against violence. Prostitution is viewed differently throughout society and holds a lot of negative opinions but no one really discuss’ the benefits of prostitution being legalized throughout America. Many people believe in legalizing Marijuana not knowing its positivity and negativity. When legalizing prostitution you should look at the overall impact and the influence it would have on the government. Legalizing prostitution could generate more tax revenue in the government, protect prostitutes from harm and also lower STD and health risks.

Prostitution has frequently been touted as the world's oldest profession, for the simple fact that it has been prevalent in society for quite some time. In order to properly discuss the many social ramifications of this particular crime and possible ways for dealing with them, it is first necessary to define prostitution and to explore the reason why it is a crime. Prostitution is the exchange of money or monetary assets for sexual favors and pleasure. It is the paying for sex in all of its myriad facets, from conventional coitus to a number of lewd and arcane acts from which people derive pleasure. Prostitution is part of the sex industry, which includes legal business such as strip clubs (Weitzer 7). There are a couple of different reasons as to why exchanging money for sex is deemed illegal. One principle reason is that if it were legalized, it would be exceedingly difficult for the government to tax and to capitalize off it, which is one of the reasons in which marijuana is widely considered illegal. More importantly, however, prostitution is illegal because it promotes the objectification of women and their bodies, and inherently reduces the degree of parity between men and women in which the latter are viewed as things simply for the fulfillment of men's sexual desires. Additionally, there are a variety of noxious activities that accompany prostitution such as trafficking in which the will of another is subjected to someone else's.