Prostitution in America
Introduction In the United States prostitution for the most part is illegal. Around the world though is practically the opposite. Why is prostitution so unacceptable in the US? The US is one of the few countries in the world where prostitution is illegal. When I say for the most part I mean that in some counties in Nevada prostitution is legal.
Downfalls of Legal Prostitution Prostitution is legal (with some restrictions) in Canada, most all of Europe including England, France, Wales, and Denmark. Most of South America including most of Mexico (often in special zones), Israel, Australia, New Zeeland and many other countries. It is either legal or very tolerated in most all of Asia and even Iran. Rapes and Violence Estimates indicate that there are anywhere from 100,000 to 500,000 prostitutes in the US. All countries have sizable domestic populations of women engaged in prostitution, ranging from .25 to 1.5 percent of the population in Asia and the United States (Henslin, J. 2003). Much larger percentages of men, however, are paying for sex. Ninety five percent of Thai men and seventy percent of men living in London have at some point in their life have purchased sex (White, L. 2004). Also large numbers of the men abuse the women they interact with, indeed violence is common to the life of a prostitute. In Canada, women and girls in prostitution had a mortality rate 40 times higher than the national average. In the United States, it is estimated that seventy percent of prostitutes annually experience multiple rapes, some women are raped once a week.
Minors Involved in Prostitution Large numbers of women engaged in prostitution began as minors having been tricked or coerced into such by parents, traffickers, partners and pimps. In the United States the average age for entering prostitution lies around fourteen, while in Asia it is well below eighteen. Similarly, it is estimated that over a quarter of prostitutes in urban
Downfalls of Legal Prostitution Prostitution is legal (with some restrictions) in Canada, most all of Europe including England, France, Wales, and Denmark. Most of South America including most of Mexico (often in special zones), Israel, Australia, New Zeeland and many other countries. It is either legal or very tolerated in most all of Asia and even Iran. Rapes and Violence Estimates indicate that there are anywhere from 100,000 to 500,000 prostitutes in the US. All countries have sizable domestic populations of women engaged in prostitution, ranging from .25 to 1.5 percent of the population in Asia and the United States (Henslin, J. 2003). Much larger percentages of men, however, are paying for sex. Ninety five percent of Thai men and seventy percent of men living in London have at some point in their life have purchased sex (White, L. 2004). Also large numbers of the men abuse the women they interact with, indeed violence is common to the life of a prostitute. In Canada, women and girls in prostitution had a mortality rate 40 times higher than the national average. In the United States, it is estimated that seventy percent of prostitutes annually experience multiple rapes, some women are raped once a week.
Minors Involved in Prostitution Large numbers of women engaged in prostitution began as minors having been tricked or coerced into such by parents, traffickers, partners and pimps. In the United States the average age for entering prostitution lies around fourteen, while in Asia it is well below eighteen. Similarly, it is estimated that over a quarter of prostitutes in urban
References: Gale, G. (2002). A cargo of exploitable souls. The Economist, 36, 6-7. Retrieved January 12, 2005 from Infotrac database Henslin, J. (2003). Social Problems (6th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall Klinger, K. (2003). Prostitution: humanism and a woman’s choice. The Humanist, 63, 16-20. Retrieved February 20, 2005 from Infotrac database Manahan, D. (2003). Prostitution and identity. The Economist, 44, 451-452. Retrieved February 15, 2005 from Infotrac database Nelson, W. (2004). Prostitution: a community solution alternative. Corrections Today, 66, 88-92. Retrieved February 12, 2005 from Infotrac database White, L. (2004). True confessions. Journal of Women’s History, 15, 142-146. Retrieved March 1, 2005, from Infotrac database