Why Prostitution Should 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.

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.

There are obvious cons and pros to the topic, but in this case the positive outcomes seem to outweigh the negative elements. In order to present my position on the issue I will provide three main positive outcomes that result from legalizing prostitution. The first being that legalizing this activity can benefit the economy as it can become a great source of revenue for the state considering it would be a popular business in Las Vegas. The topic which will be discussed secondly is in defense to the people involved in this profession, whether it be the workers or those who seek the services. I will discuss how in the 21st century this activity is not

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

Being the oldest profession, prostitution will create employment opportunities for many workers and also be a significant source of revenue for the nation (Weitzer, 2011, p. 9). It is significant to note that until today, prostitution-associated businesses are not eligible to paying tax in the US. Legalizing prostitution will enable county authorities to have a legal platform for collecting tax from brothels among other adult entertainment businesses. Such generated revenue would help the authorities facilitate development projects. This would boost the economy and improve the quality of service delivery to all citizens.

First, some argue saying that the government should not be able to make laws against women and their uses of their bodies. For example, a debate was started online on Debate.org, arguing the legalization of prostitution. One man by the name of Nine Nathaniel 43, stated, “Prostitution should be legalized, so that willing women could make money. We waste money prosecuting men and women that are engaging in consensual sexual activity. They are not harming anyone. I also feel it would be safer for prostitutes. If prostitution were legal, then there wouldn't be a need for pimps, because women could market themselves, without fear of repercussions.” For this reason, I believe that prostitution would be much more dangerous for women involved in it. If pimps or traffickers were to realize that they no longer could earn money from a woman because she can go market herself, they will do their best to make sure she stays with him, involving more aggression and control from the trafficker. Along with this, some people make the statement that if prostitution were to be legalized in the United States, then rape and other crimes involving sex would decrease. For example, Kirby R. Cundiff, clearly stated that,” It is estimated that if prostitution were legalized in the United

Federal legalization would allow for the regulation of prostitution, specifically regulation of healthcare policies/screenings that would be both mandatory and voluntary. For example, if prostitutes are legally required to see a professional about treatment for an STD they have contracted and receive medication to possibly cure said STD, a link in the chain of transmission is severed and the STD will not be spread. A 1998 study of STDs in Australia, where the act of prostitution is legal, showed that the prevalence of STDs was 80 times greater in illegal street prostitutes than in legal brothel sex workers (Loff). Prostitutes would also have the voluntary option to seek medical attention about injuries or medical needs they have without fear of criminal injustice. With regulation, condoms could be mandated and the transmission of STDs, as well as the number of unwanted pregnancies among prostitutes would decrease.

Prostitution might seem like something out of left field and should always be frowned upon. Prostitution is the oldest profession and with regulation, prostitution is something that should really be considered. With recent research and studies done on prostitution, it has become something that people should consider an actual profession. Prostitution should be legalized because the overwhelming studies on the benefits of decriminalization, such as lower STD transmission and lower incarnation rate for a crime without a victim

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.

“Legalization would mean the regulation of prostitution with laws regarding where, when, and how prostitution could take place. Decriminalization eliminates all laws and prohibits the state and law-enforcement officials from intervening in any prostitution-related activities or transactions, unless other laws apply” (Tani, 2015, para. 8).

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.

When many people hear the term prostitution they automatically have a negative thought in their heads. They see the violence, the drugs, and the manipulative things that are said and done to these people, all due to their pimps. What people fail to realize is there is a fine line between human trafficking and prostitution, many people get these two confused. Human trafficking is a different level of prostitution defined as the action of illegally transporting people from one area to another for sexual exploitation. Technically the definition of prostitution is the act or practice of engaging in sexual intercourse for money. Nowhere in this definition did it involve it being forced by another

Firstly, the value of prostitution is incredibly high in places where it is legalized or decriminalized. The legalization of prostitution in the United States will bring us well needed federal tax revenue. According to The Stanford Daily, the illegal sex trade in the state of Atlanta in only 2007 was worth around $290,000,000. The average weekly profit for procurers, defined as the manager of prostitutes, between 2005 and 2011 was $32,833 (Wicki). If America were to legalize prostitution, they would be able to claim a new source of

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.