Pro-Prostitution (The Advantages of Prostitution)

Prostitution is the act or practice of engaging in sexual activities in the exchange of money (Dictionary.com). Prostitution is believed by many to be the worlds oldest profession with its roots tracing back to ancient times (Otchet). It is a common belief that prostitutes are only women, but the truth is that prostitutes are predominantly of the female gender. In todays modern society prostitutes are frowned upon by society because they see it as being on the same category as drug addiction and homosexuality. The thought of a human being selling their body to lustful acts is something that most of us consider sinful and just plain dirty, but then again most of us dont think about this subject in other viewpoints and angles. The ideas of legalizing marijuana and legalizing underage drinking are popular in our time, but no on stops to think about the pros and cons of legalizing prostitution which I might add has very beneficial repercussions. The decriminalization and legalization of prostitution with reasonable restrictions would overall beneficial to society.

The biggest danger of sexual acts and prostitution is the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as HIV/AIDS, syphilis, Gonorrhea, hepatitis, herpes, genital warts, etc. A common belief is that prostitution facilitates the spread of these diseases because it puts customers and prostitutes alike at risk of contracting these dangers from one another. In the same essence, the porn industry is at the same risk, but the only difference is that the porn industry is controlled and has health regulations (Gill). The sexy woman at the end of the bar downing drinks as if it were water, that college students stereotypically hook up with by the end of the night, holds more dangers then a legalized prostitute (Gill).

Why you may ask A legalized prostitute would be subjected to no less then two weekly health exams and would be less likely to engage in unprotected sex because of the fact that her livelihood depends on her sexual health (Santoro). Under a controlled sex worker industry, prostitutes who test positive for treatable STDs will be suspended until the condition is treated (Santoro). Others who test positive for untreatable STDs will lose their ability to work at brothels (Santoro). The bottom-line is that prostitution is going to exist illegally no matter what happens, so controlling the industry through a system of medical health exams seems to be the only solution to reducing the transmission of STDs in the real sex industry.

The most common concern of Americans regarding prostitution is the abuse that women undergo under this profession which includes physical abuse, mental abuse and trafficking of prostitutes. The legalized model of prostitution would regard sex workers as actual professions. Actual professions are forced to abide by work acts such as the equal opportunity employers act and OSHA (Gill). Prostitutes that have been abused by their pimps and/or clients under regulated prostitution will be able to seek proper authorities to report such abuse, and in the midst of all logic, abusers would be hesitant to rape or discriminate sex workers (Gill). Prostitution would be industrialized and made a corporation much like escort services and porn (Gill).

The trafficking of sex workers would be very risky for business owners because the penalties would be very heavy including jail time. Illegal prostitution accounts for many womens lives a year (Phoenix). Sure, its their choice to do what they do, but in a country that is based on liberty and freedom, two consenting adults should be able to have sexual intercourse in exchange for money. In a controlled environment, prostitutes will no longer fear their pimps or clientele (DPNC). The fear of going to the police or pressing charges would be completely eliminated (DPNC). Instead of frowning upon this idea, womens rights activists should press for this cause because it is overly apparent that it provides the security and safety that every woman is entitled to whether they prostitute themselves or not.

While most people are stuck on the debate on the moral issues of prostitution, I actually ask myself where all the money from this underground industry goes. Prostitutes make a hefty amount of money on any given night, which is not taxed just like illegal immigrant incomes. In the act of legalizing prostitution, we would be adding the oldest industry into our economy (Dpomerole). Legal drugs and alcohol account for a great part of our great nations economy and prostitution would be closely tagging along in terms of overall yearly contributions to the economy (Cline). Special taxes can be applied to prostitution solicitations just as tobacco and liquor have specific taxes on their products (Cline). Aside from being beneficial through a health concerned perspective and a humane perspective, it is also beneficial through a financial perspective (Cline). In peak deficit times for the national budget, a new powerhouse industry is needed to pay debts (Cline). The only industry that has sold from the beginning of time and will sell until the end is sex.

The police spend an over whelming amount of money and time in efforts to stop prostitution. The average cost per hooker bust was almost $2,000 and “the average big-city police department spent 213 man-hours a day enforcing prostitution laws (Phoenix).” Pearl estimated that 16 large American cities spent over $120 million to suppress prostitution in 1985 (Phoenix). In 1993, one Los Angeles government official estimated that prostitution enforcement was costing Los Angeles alone over $100 million a year (Phoenix). The most high-profile prostitution prosecution in recent years was the Heidi Fleiss case out of Los Angeles (Phoenix). Fleiss organized call girls for wealthy customers (Phoenix). Fleiss’s hookers made up to $10,000 a day (Phoenix).

Lawyer Thomas Tanana detailed the Los Angeles police campaign against Fleiss in 1995 in the Orange County Register: “While people were getting murdered, mugged, and raped in other parts of Los Angeles, 20 to 30 members of the LA metro vice squad safely perched themselves high atop the spacious penthouse of a Beverly Hills hotel for weeks conducting endless preparatory ‘strategic meetings,’ installing and testing hidden video cameras behind special see-through mirrors in adjoining suites, bugging rooms with recording devices, chatting with young call girls about sex, and watching racy movies all at taxpayers’ expense. (Dpomerole and Phoenix)” It seems that patrolling prostitution is diverting attention from true crimes in many American cities.

Some may say our kids will stop working hard in school and take the path that legal prostitution provides for them. In fact, some parents believe that kids/teenagers would rather be used for their body instead of going to college and making an honest living (Santoro). Personally, I would never solicit prostitution or become a male prostitute because of my principles and how I was raised, and legalization wouldnt change my mind. The only new idea that legalization would bring into my head is business ideas. I believe that if a girl or boy is against it, they will not do it for the money. People who become prostitutes become prostitutes by choice and for easy money, it is their decision. Legal prostitution wont change someone from head to toe, it will only bring the freaks out of there closet or let them do what they have already done. The stereotypical image of all American Bob and Sally is not going to change, unless it was already inbound. Those who have already pondered on the idea will make that choice with their lives, and those who oppose it will continue to do so.

Married couples claim that legal prostitution would provide spouses grounds for cheating legally and facilitate the process. Legal prostitution will not provide grounds for cheating because marriage is a bond that abides by laws of its own (Santoro). The simple truth is that if a spouse is already unfaithful they might be likely to visit brothels, but if a spouse is faithful then nothing is going to change their mind especially not legal prostitutes. People who are true to their marriage will continue to be true and a brothel will never come in mind.

The pros of legalizing prostitution outweigh the cons by far in my opinion. Abiding by all logic, controlling an industry with the most risk for Stds, which will be in existence legally or illegally will greatly reduce the transmittance of diseases by establishing a regular health exam inspections. The legalization would also provide hookers with the rights they should be entitled to, but are denied of because of their job of choice or fear. It would greatly reduce the risk of rapes and abuse on sex workers. The United States economy would benefit greatly with the new industry and new income. In conclusion, legalizing prostitution has a lot more positive effects then negative.