FREE ESSAY ON PROSTITUTION

PROSTITUTION

Outline
Thesis: Prostitution should be legalized because not only does it financially benefit the
country,
but legalized prostitution could also reduce crime.
I. Illegalized prostitution
A. Preservation of morality 
B. Health risks
C. Violent crime
D. Costs to citizens
II. Legalized prostitution
A. Constitutional right
B. Regular health exam
C. Reduction of violent crime
D. Government regulation
III. Argument
Prostitution is known as the oldest profession in the world, however, many states in the
U.S. outlaw it. The textbook definition of prostitution is the act or practice of
engaging in sexual acts for money (Prostitution, Macmillan 805). Nevada is the first in
the United States to legalize prostitution. Although the long term effects of legalized
prostitution is uncertain, the short term effects have been economically beneficial.
Prostitution should be legalized because not only could it financially benefit the
country, but it could also reduce crime. 
There are many reasons why prostitution is illegal in 49 U.S. states today. First, and
foremost, many people feel that prostitution should stay illegal in order to preserve
morality. Parents do not want their children to grow up thinking that prostitution is
acceptable. Worse yet, parents do not want to hear their children say, When I grow up, I
want to be a prostitute. Christianity also looks down upon prostitution because according
to their beliefs, the act of sex is only to be done when a man and a women are in love
and married. Monogamy is to be practiced in the marriage, and any violation of this is
considered a sin. Another reason why the preservation of morality is so important is that
people's morals shape the future of a nation. Many people feel that if prostitution is
legalized, then its long term effects would be detrimental to the United States. The
divorce rate in the United States peaked at an all time high in 1980 (Marriage 56). By
the legalization of prostitution, this would allow room for husbands and wives to commit
adultery. Thus, leading the marriage to a divorce. The divorce rate has really increased
over the centuries. In the U.S. today, the divorce rate is fifty percent of the U.S.
(Holland 86).
Second, prostitution is a great health risk to the U.S. because of the spread of sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs). A major concern about STDs is the spread of AIDS, which is
currently a deadly STD because a cure has not been found for the disease. The
transmission of 
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STDs is already on the rise due to many uneducated teenagers having unprotected sex. In
addition, most of theses teens are not going to a physician to be screened for STDs.
Because of this, many curable STDs are going untreated and being spread throughout a
community. Prostitution only adds to this problem because prostitutes have sexual contact
on a daily basis, and rarely have themselves screened for STDs. Most of the time,
prostitutes will not go to a doctor because they can't afford it, they're too afraid,
and/or they just don't want to deal with it. Unfortunately, simply ignoring the problem
does not make it go away. Some taxpayers feel that this problem will only increase the
cost of health care. In some cases prostitutes become pregnant and are left to raise a
child on their own. For these women, their futures are uncertain because now they have a
child to care for. This is another concern for taxpayers because the majority of these
women will seek government assistance. 
With prostitution being illegal, many violent crimes against prostitutes go unreported
every year. Prostitutes are often too frightened to report the crime to police. Most of
the time, the crime's perpetuator is a pimp or a client. Several of the crimes committed
against prostitutes include robbery, kidnaping, rape, battery, and/or homicide.
Prostitutes, however, are not the only victims. Sometimes the client is also the victim.
A street prostitute is already a lawbreaker, which may encourage other crimes, such as
'rolling' clients (drugging them and stealing their money) (Street Cleaning 25). As a
result, crimes associated with illegal prostitution often go unreported and without
punishment.
Although enforcement of illegal prostitution exhausts a great amount of time, some
citizens feel that the time is well spent. Many residents complain that street
prostitution brings noise, declining property values, a bad environment for children, and
a health threat. Residents 
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feel that street prostitution detracts from the innocence of their children's childhood;
and no price is too high to prevent this from happening. One tactic that is being
implemented by a few urban police departments is the seizure of the vehicle belonging to
the prostitute's client. The driver must then appear at an impoundment garage to pay a
fine and processing costs, typically around $300. All parties whose names appear on the
vehicle registration-wives and employers included-must then sign if the car is to be
returned (Prostitution, CQ 32). Prostitution involves many different kinds of crimes.
With this in mind, some citizens feel that if prostitution is eliminated, then many of
the crimes associated with prostitution will also be eliminated or decreased. Thus,
saving taxpayers money that would ordinarily be used in court fees and enforcement fees.
On the other hand, a survey taken in 1993 showed that 40 percent of Americans think that
prostitution should be legalized and regulated (Database 16). From the technical aspect,
prostitution should not be illegal because the act itself does not infringe upon anyone's
constitutional right. Furthermore, no where in the constitution does it state that
accepting or offering money for sexual acts is illegal. Many people, however, argue that
our forefathers did not envision a nation where sex was a profession and taxable.
Conversely, prostitution has been around for so long that it is almost apart of our
history. No one actually knows when prostitution began or how it originated; yet, our
forefathers had to know about prostitution, because Europe (especially France and Russia)
is infamous for the prostitutes who work there. Still, the world's oldest trade has
always outwitted attempts to suppress it (Street Cleaning 24).
Another reason why some citizens are calling for the decriminalization of prostitution is
that it would greatly reduce the transmission of STDs. Legalized prostitution has shown
that
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prostitutes who work in brothels practice safe sex and are less likely to contract and
transmit STDs. As indicated in the article entitled, Prostitution:
George Flint, director of the Nevada Brothel Association, point with pride to the 20,000
monthly AIDS tests that have been performed on legal prostitutes since tests were
required in 1986-with HIV showing up only among job applicants.
Similarly, not a single case of AIDS turned up in a 1991 survey of 7,000 
tests on 246 legal prostitutes in Nevada from 1982 to 989. By contrast, of 700 
illegal prostitutes arrested in 1990 for soliciting in Nevada, 10 percent tested 
positive for HIV (36).
Many brothels in Nevada also require its customers to go through an exam before business
is able to proceed. This practice of screening customers adds to the record of safe sex
in legal prostitution. With this in mind, brothels are able to control (to an extent) the
statistics of STDs in legal prostitution. In summary, legal prostitution is a safer
alternative to street prostitution because customers and job applicants are screened for
STDs.
Another benefit of legal prostitution is the reduction of violent crimes. Almost all
brothels located in Nevada provide security for their workers. This creates a safe
working environment for the prostitutes. Crimes against prostitutes such as robbery,
kidnaping, rape, battery, and/or homicide are greatly reduced. Security is not only for
the prostitutes, but it is also for the customers. This decreases the chances of
prostitutes rolling their clients. Most brothels also enforce a drug-free policy, which
also adds to the reduction in violent crimes. 
A major advantage to legal prostitution is government regulation. Undoubtedly, the 
government will earn revenue from brothels and be able to monitor part of the sex
industry. A
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significant benefit to government involvement in prostitution are the regulations and
standards that will be set forth for all brothels to meet. This will allow for a clean
and safe environment for both patrons and workers. Government regulation would also mean
the elimination of pimps. Street prostitutes are normally controlled by a pimp who
usually keeps the prostitute dependent on drugs so that he/she can control the money that
the prostitute makes. 
While many critics may maintain that prostitution is immoral and unethical, the issue
cannot be denied. Prostitution happens all over the world and in most cities. A great
deal of money and time is spent attempting to stop illegal prostitution. When a
prostitute is picked up by the police, she/he usually spends a night in jail, goes to
court, pays a fine, serves a short time in jail and/or completes community service. Then,
the prostitute is released and is back on the streets in no time. Dennis Martin,
president of the National Association of Police Chiefs, once observed that prostitution
enforcement is erratic and depends completely on how much the public complains and on
pressure from politicians. It's much too time-consuming, and police forces are
short-staffed (qtd. in Prostitutes, CQ 32). Many citizens feel that police efforts should
be directed towards more serious crimes, such as drug trafficking. With the cost of court
fees, enforcement, and jail housing for the convicted prostitutes, some citizens are
beginning to wonder if the government is approaching the problem correctly. In 1985 it
was calculated that each of America's biggest cities spent $12m a year fighting
prostitution . . . Mr. Richwald [a doctor from the University of Los Angeles] guesses
that prostitution costs Los Angeles at least $100m a year (Street Cleaning 25). For many
people, money is the bottom-line. For some citizens, however, money takes a backseat to
ethics, morals, and values. Legalized prostitutionis really a question of value and
judgement. Nevertheless, morals and values cannot be imposed
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by the government. Furthermore, it is not the duty of the government to teach values to
children. Instead, it is the job of parents to teach their children from right and wrong.
If the government was allowed regulate morals and values to a nation, then would that
same government be a democracy or a dictatorship? Prostitution today, should be legalized
because it would create revenue for the government and greatly reduce crime in most
cities. 
Bibliography
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Bibliography
Database. US News & World Report Nov. 1993: 16.
Decriminalization of Prostitution. 10 Nov. 1999. .
Holland, Barbara. The Long Good-Bye. Smithsonian Magazine Mar. 1998: 86.
Legalized Prostitution. The Liberator. 11 Nov. 1999. .
Marriage and Divorce, 1996. Monthly Vital Statistics Report. 45.12 (1997): 44.
Prostitution. CQ Researcher June 1993: 32-40.
Prostitution. Macmillan Dictionary for Students. 11th ed., 1993.
Prostitution and Law Enforcement: Practices and Abuses. The San Francisco Task Force on 
Prostitution. 10 Nov. 1999. .
Prostitution Law Reforms: Defining Terms. The San Francisco Task Force on Prostitution.
10 
Nov. 1999. .
Street Cleaning. CQ Researcher Sept. 1991: 24-25.