Sociology- 101-P01
Professor Reba Parker
October 21, 2009
Prostitution
Prostitution has existed from the beginning of time and still exists today. It will continue to exist. It can be defined as the commission by a person(s) of any natural or unnatural sexual act, deviate sexual intercourse, or sexual contact for monetary consideration or other thing of value. Should prostitution be legalized? Yes, it should be legalized. The legalization of prostitution would bring prevention of certain health issues and protection of persons in that profession from crimes. One of the major risk factors in the profession of prostitution is the possibility of contracting a sexually transmitted disease and potentially spreading of the diseases to another person. A sexually transmitted disease (STD) is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans or animals by means of sexual contact, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex. If the disease is left untreated it could cause permanent damage or even death. The cost factor of treating sexually transmitted diseases is another consideration along with testing for these diseases. The total estimated burden of treating nine million new cases of STDs was $6.5 billion in the year 2000. Another major factor that affects prostitutes is violence. Prostitutes and other people working in the sex industry are more likely to be victims of abuse, physical attacks, and robbery. Most of these acts of violence go unreported to the authorities. Therefore, there is very limited information on crimes committed as prostitutes. In conclusion, the legalization of prostitution would benefit the entire country by aiding in the prevention of transmission of the STDs. With the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases comes a reduction in the cost of treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. Although there is limited data on the number of crimes committed against prostitutes, I believe that violent acts against prostitutes would decrease significantly.
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Trends. 2000 , 36(1). 11-19.
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