Introduction
Matters about the female body integrity and autonomy, including but not limited to abortion, rape, and sterilization often prompt strong views and subsequently lead to highly charged political debates. Similar to other issues concerning the female body, prostitution discourse focuses on whether the practice is empowering, degrading, or exploitative. Sex work is acknowledged as one of the “world’s oldest profession,” and the question of whether the practice should be criminalized or not is one of the most controversial topics among social reformers not only in the USA but across the globe. Over the past centuries, sex work has faced criticism and stigmatization, an attitude that continues to prevail in the USA despite the emphasis on democracy in the modern population. However, decriminalization of prostitution facilitates the protection of the sex workers like any other laborers in the USA, which benefits not only the sex workers but also to society. The article positively addresses the question, “should prostitution be legalized?”
The whole subject of prostitution is associated with a lot of ambiguities and hypocrisies that it is rather challenging to define this social practice. Indeed, prostitution is often described as the act of engaging in sexual activities for money (Farley, 2017). However, many women usually get married to gain a home and a livelihood as such emphasizing the fact that prostitution has to have a level of promiscuity. Statistics indicate on a global scale; there are more than 42 million sex workers. Among these numbers, almost 80 percent are female between the mere tender age of 13 and 25 years ([procon.org, 2018). These numbers pinpoint to the full extent of the prostitution industry across the globe. While there are no comprehensive efforts to determine the exact number, estimates indicate there are almost two million prostitutes in the USA. The figures suggest there is a necessity to make a decision on the best course of action that ensures the well-being of these individuals. Moreover, currently, the prostitution industry is associated with many social evils, including but not limited to violence, human trafficking, and transmission of sexual diseases such as HIV (Bazelon, 2016). As such, the USA government and the international society as a whole need to take the necessary steps to eradicate the adverse effects associated with prostitution.
Legalization of prostitution is likely to reduce cases of human trafficking. Trafficking is considered slavery of modern times since it is a fundamental violation of an individual’s human rights. Human trafficking violates human dignity and integrity (Osmanaj, 2014). Human trafficking, particularly of young girls and women, is often linked to prostitution since most women are trafficked for sexual purposes. Decriminalization of sex work is likely to bring the sex industry under control, which translates to the reduction of trafficking. Particularly, legalization of the practice eradicates the need for taking extreme measures such as human trafficking to buy sex (procon.org, 2018).
Additionally, decriminalization gives sex workers a right to seek legal action in the event of sexual assault among other forms of violence. For instance, when New Zealand legalized sex work in 2003, cases of human trafficking reduced dramatically. Moreover, the legalization made sex workers willing to report cases of abuse and assault, which prompted the prosecution of many human traffickers (procon.org, 2018). Criminalization of prostitution often leads to the establishments of cartels, which use violence to assert control. Violence translates to monopoly power among the cartels, which increases profit margins and thus making human trafficking more appealing.
Legalizing prostitution will facilitate better protection of sex workers in terms of lowering violence and disease in the industry. Indeed, decriminalizing the practice emphasizes consent and facilitation of the individual rights of sex workers as any other laborer in the USA. Research indicates in regions where the method attracts legal action, fear of the authorities means that many sex workers had little time to agree on the services and the prices and tend to engage in the practice in secluded areas, which increases not only the probability of violence against the workers but also the chances various sexually related diseases (Bacchi, 2018). Decriminalizing sex work is effective in curbing sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, since it allows the government to monitor and regulate sex trade openly. Indeed, more support from the administration implies that many sex workers will be empowered to negotiate condom use in addition to improving their access to public services such as healthcare facilities. Indeed, the Netherlands, where prostitution has been legal for several years’ reports lower rates of sexual abuse and rape in the prostitution industry as compared to countries such as the USA where the practice is primarily criminalized. Research in 27 European countries indicated that states that have legalized some aspect of sex work have lower rates of HIV as compared to those that criminalize all aspects of the industry (procon.org, 2018).
Moreover, sex work is work that can earn the government revenue if decriminalized. Indeed, unlike the popular opinion among the opponents of legalizing prostitution, acknowledging that sex work is like any other job moves the public from the perception that sex workers are criminals, victims, sinners and allows them to be perceived as workers (Trifiolis, 2014). Like many other jobs, sex work is an income-generating activity that is liable to taxation if legalized. In Nevada, prostitution is a multimillion-dollar business but not eligible for tax. Indeed, from these numbers, it is deductible that Nevada can make approximately 25 m illion dollars on an annual basis if the practice is legalized in the USA (procon.org, 2018). Indeed, considering that the USA invests millions of dollars in policing the vice, the country can earn much more money if it is legalized.
Similarly, like many other jobs, exploitation and unsafe working environments can exist in the prostitution industry. Indeed, the fact that the prostitution industry has more cases of exploitation and somewhat hazardous working environment; these conditions do not change the fact that prostitution indeed is like any other job. Moreover, the legalization of sex work allows sex workers to enjoy the same rights as other laborers in the country.
The fact the prostitution is mostly acknowledged as one of the oldest forms of employees illustrates that it is unlikely for the practice to go away. Therefore, decriminalizing prostitution in the USA might take up the red lights cities approach where the activity is limited to certain cities (Bacchi, 2018). Since prostitution is one of the core reasons for human trafficking legalizing, it will reduce the prevalence rates of the practice. Similarly, the decriminalization works to empower women and supports the USA notion efforts towards democracy and equal rights. If no action is taken, prostitution will likely continue to expand as an industry while the adverse effects associated with the practice such as human trafficking expand in prevalence.
At a personal capacity, I believe that decriminalization of prostitution will do more than reduce human trafficking and earn the USA government profit. Legalizing the practice will allow the USA to be a sexually open society. In recent years, the fight for equality expands beyond race and gender to encompass the inclusivity of everyone irrespective of one’s background, experiences, or career. Currently, there is a lot of stigma and criticism associated with prostitution. Legalization will allow society to appreciate sex works as any other laborers. Accepting sex workers will launch the road for American society to loosen up regarding morality surrounding sexuality.
References
[procon.org. (2018, January 3). Would legal prostitution better protect prostitutes from violence. Retrieved August 02, 2019, from procon: https://prostitution.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000120
Bacchi, U. (2018, December 11). Legalizing prostitution lowers violence and disease, report says. Retrieved August 2, 2019, from Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-women-prostitution/legalizing-prostitution-lowers-violence-and-disease-report-says-idUSKBN1OA28N
Bazelon, E. (2016, May 5). Should prostitution be a crime. Retrieved August 2, 2019, from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/magazine/should-prostitution-be-a-crime.html
Farley, M. (2017). Risks of prostitution: When the person is the product. JACR, 97-109.
Mathieson, A. (2016). Prostitutional policy: Legalization, decriminalizationand the Nordic model. Seattle Journal for Social Justice, 367-413.
Osmanaj, E. (2014). The impact of legalized prostitution on human trafficking. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 3(2).
procon.org. (2018, March 23). Top 10 pro con arguements: Should prostitution be legalized. Retrieved August 02, 2019, from Procon: https://prostitution.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000115
Trifiolis, K. (2014). Legalizing prostitution: An introduction. Law School Student Scholarship.
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