Summary: Decriminalizing Prostitution

Prostitution has been around since the time of the early European settlers. It has been considered a social norm in many countries, while in others; it has been considered to be morally wrong and taboo. Canada, for example, has decriminalized prostitution, but the activities relating to it, such as soliciting, communicating and procuring, are illegal. Many parts of the United States have criminalized prostitution. Regulating prostitution through the state would eliminate many of the harms associated with prostitution. Also, prostitution provides a means of financial income and sexual gratification in cases where it cannot otherwise be acquired. Lastly, people have the right to work as they please, and this includes selling one’s body if they
While there are prostitutes who do not enjoy their work, there are far more who are quite content with the job because of the lifestyle and income it can provide for them. Although prostitution is frowned upon and viewed as a controversial topic, it can provide people with jobs who otherwise would have no means of financial stability. It keeps potentially homeless individuals from living in the streets. However, without legalization, these people often end up being fined or imprisoned for trying to establish an income
Many religions have the belief that God owns a person’s body until they are married, at which point they may share it with their spouse. However, not every person is religious, and not everyone agrees with this. The reality is that every individual is responsible for their own actions and has the right to use their bodies for whatever purpose they see fit, whether it is child bearing, donating an organ, or prostitution. The concept of legalizing prostitution relates to the controversial topic of pro-choice abortion, which states that only the woman herself can decide what she wants to do with her body; it is her personal choice. With the regulation of prostitution through the state, underage prostitutes would be more closely monitored and detached from the profession. This means that only consenting adults – not children – would be legally allowed to prostitute themselves. Adults are able to understand the possible consequences of their actions – consequences that will not be as heavy of a burden once prostitution is decriminalized within a society. It is not the state’s position to become involved in what two adults choose to do in their spare time as long as no one is being directly harmed. The harms will never completely cease to exist; however, with regulation, many issues can be minimized. Everyone has different values and morals,