A Way of Life: Prostitution

Prostitution has been alive since the day man walked Earth. Whether prostitution has
evolved over time, or simply just became larger, is not a question of humanity. Like water is
made to drink, prostitution is, to be simple, a way of life. Whether or not the opposing
viewpoints contradict humanitys views or those of societys, prostitution should be a choice for
the individual itself and not a choice for society. What is wrong? What is right? Is prostitution
wrong for society? Or is society wrong for saying it is so? These questions will never be
answerablefor everyone has a different opinion. However, prostitution is happening all over
the world, whether or not society considers it acceptable. Thus, prostitution should be made
awareas one thinks they know does not know at all. Prostitution, in its whole entirety, is its
own, if unique, world.
Although a number of measures have been taken to lessen the dramatic effects of
prostitution, it remains a widespread problem affecting people on a worldwide scale. Prostitutes
and the men who seek their services are not the only individuals involved in prostitution. Despite
the overly simplified notion of prostitution modern day society has established, prostitution
encompasses a wide spectrum of people ranging from the abusive pimps involved to the
numerous men receiving the services these pimps provide. Due to the fact that prostitution is
illegal in the majority of the United States and around the world, police also become involved as
they crack down on these crimes. Women and men in the sex industry, providing sexual services
in exchange for money, are the most gravely affected. By selling their bodies they are belittling
themselves and, at the same time, they are exposing themselves to sexually transmitted diseases
and possible abusive situations with their customers. Prostitution is found internationally, and
affects third world countries on a larger scale than in more developed countries, such as the

United States. Rules and regulations coupled with an increased level of government intervention
inhibit prostitution and its negative effects in developed countries whereas underdeveloped
countries do not have these privileges and prostitution continues. Prostitution has been evident in
society since history existed but is slowly transforming with the progression of time.
Prostitution is the worlds oldest profession and legalization of it would lead to a great
deal of benefits in the grand scheme of events. Being a victimless crime, prostitution does no
harm if legalized. Civil Rights are obstructed with prostitution as an illegal institution, thus in
order for civil rights to prevail, prostitution should be reconsidered for legalization for its
plausible merits. Becoming a prostitute is an inherent right, similarly to becoming a worker in
any other freely chosen profession, and laws should not be in place that prohibit this right. A
benefit of legalized prostitution is decreased rates of sexually transmitted diseases due to the
regulation and maintenance of workers if legalized. Through legalization of prostitution, it would
become a legitimate business, opening doors of opportunity in the competitive sex industry. Due
to the benefits of prostitution, it should be legalized.
Despite negative notions of prostitution inherent where prostitution occurs, the women
engaged in the sale of their services many times, have a legitimate reason behind their actions.
Prostitution is a widely misunderstood topic in all areas of the world where clarifications are
needed to help the general public to better understand why it occurs and other related issues.
Vern Bullough and Bonnie Bullough state in their book Women and Prostitution: A Social
History published in 1987 that the majority of prostitutes were usually young women around
their late teens and early twenties who were generally from poor and underprivileged families
(Bullough). Many girls are forced into prostitution as a means of their survival of the survival of

their families. Iris Leos Hickenbottom contends that economic poverty, societal disgrace, and
lack of education were also causes of girls turning towards prostitution; they had a limited
number of options available to them (Hickenbottom) in is article Prostitution: Then and Now
published on May 18th, 2002. The reasons for women turning to prostitution as a venue for
income were due to their economic status. Believing they had no other alternative in their
youthful naivety, women turned to prostitution. Since they lacked a proper education, women
were not able to distinguish between their options in life and what the final outcomes of their
actions would be leading to their near-sightedness in trivial matters such as these. According to
Sudhir Venkatesh's Washington Post article Five Myths about Prostitution September 12th,
2000, the five most prominent myths encompassing prostitution are prostitution is an alleyway
business...men visit sex workers for sex...most prostitutes are addicted to drugs or were abused as
children... and police are enemies... [and] closing Craigslist's "adult services" section will
significantly affect the sex trade (Venkatesh).
Although prostitution was once an alleyway business, times have changed, and there has
been a rapid change from the streets to the internet. Despite this claim, prostitution still occurs in
the thriving outdoor street market for sex in larger cities. Men do not seek sex workers only for
sex, but it may be the case often times, but for intellectual reasons, such as conversation.
Venkatesh states that often, they pay them to talk...well; they pay for sex, but end up chatting or
having dinner and never get around to physical contact. Approximately 40 percent of high-end
sex worker transactions end up being sex-free (Venkatesh). All these myths are evident in
modern day society, and clarifications of these myths have set many straight. Prostitution is
better comprehended and accepted on many levels when clarifications are given.

Becoming a prostitute is a right individuals in any society inherently hold even in spite of
contradicting laws in place. People should have a right to become a prostitute, thus it should be
legalized. Controlling one's body is a given right, even if it means exposing their bodies to
potentially harmful acts. In order to lift violations off the infringement of rights dealing with
prostitution, it should be legalized. Most ironically, the United States is a country where
prostitution is illegal except the 11 counties in Nevada, and along its borders, Canada and
Mexico have legalized prostitution. Prostitution is a greater problem in underdeveloped
countries, such as Africa due to the poor economic conditions and the compounding effects of
poverty. Women have no other means of income to provide for their families, and thus turn to
prostitution. In Abdulrazak Alaba's article Underage Prostitution: The Greatest Threat to Young
Generation published August 1st, 2010, he asserts that many parents in Africa due to poverty
and ignorance would...allow their children to be taken away by the syndicate...findings have
even revealed that some parents are even aware of the situation but because of monetary
inducement, allow the syndicates to take their children away to these countries (Alaba). This
example illustrates the devastating effects of poverty on the spread of prostitution. Prostitution is
a route taken by many families across the world for economic reasons and for survival purposes,
but it may not be the best alternative. Prostitution is a widespread problem affecting families and
individuals throughout the world which compromise future implications. In the future, society
may see the United States legalizing prostitution and conditions in Africa becoming more
optimistic with the intervening of more developed countries to aid them. Future impacts of
prostitution vary depending on the situation one is in, and for the most part, impact on the United
States is believed to be detrimental to its high moral if it were legalized. The current status of
prostitution changes depending on the country of topic, but for the majority of countries,

prostitution is illegal. Future impacts of it also depend on the current situation in which
prostitution is occurring, but look optimistic for the most part.
Since prostitution is a legitimate business, it should be legalized for the many benefits of
a legalized business in America's capitalist economy. Legalizing prostitution opens doors to
successful businesses and booming careers as sex workers and other careers related to the
management of a brothel (a house where men can visit prostitutes) and advertising and what not.
Paving paths for competitive businesses in the sex industry is the effect of legalizing prostitution.
According to Ana Lopes, PhD, President of Britain's General Union Sex Workers Branch, in her
Chartist article Stigmatizing Sex Workers published in March 2006, she stipulates that Sex
work is legitimate work and problems within the industry are not inherent in the work itself. It is
vulnerability, not sex work, which creates victims. Sex workers should enjoy the same labor
rights as other workers and the same human rights as other people. Sex workers can only gain the
same rights as other workers when the debate is moved from a moral framework and placed in
the framework of labor rights (Lopes). Being a sex worker is a legitimate career, and creating a
business, such as a brothel would create income for the state, and the sex workers. State
government could put a tax on the business just like with cigarettes. Brothels are legitimate
businesses that would prosper under the right conditions, and create jobs for men and women. It
would create opportunities for people to become sex workers and have a thriving career.
In conclusion, prostitution is a worldwide problem that has infested itself in different
societies for various reasons with the progression of time. When analyzing historical records
from different parts of the world, it becomes evident that prostitution is one of the oldest
professions dating back to as early as 2400 BC. The history of prostitution is inherent in every

society and it was considered as a necessary evil. Reasons for women's engagement into the sex
trade include a wide spectrum of reasons ranging from survival to a source of easy income.
Prostitution is a complicated issue that needs a lot of clarification and consideration. Many false
notions are associated with prostitution and can only be corrected through proper clarification.
The current legal status of prostitution varies from country to country, but in the majority of
countries worldwide, it is illegal. In countries where prostitution is legal, there are limitations put
forth through implementing various laws. The future impact of prostitution relies solely on where
it is occurring demographically and if any form of aid is available to help those in need. Many
factors play into how it will impact the future, but so far, the outcome appears optimistic.
Prostitution is found worldwide and encompasses the history of numerous societies while
infiltrating today's society with ample problems on the horizon. Despite media's portrayal of
prostitution as an evil institution filled with helpless victims, it is truly a victimless crime. In the
process of wanting to preserve America's pure image, she has obstructed the civil rights of
prostitutes by criminalizing prostitution. As a right, being a prostitute should not be considered a
crime, and thus legalized. Similarly, it would create a legitimate business and create credible
opportunities for those involved in the sex industry. Thus, prostitution is only a stone in the
world. It is a way of life, an individuals choice, a profession. No one should have the right to say
otherwise.

Visual Aid (used in recorded speech)

A majority of the worlds 200
nation outlaw prostitution, but
about 70 countries have
legalized it, regulating where
and how it can be practiced,
such as a licensed brothels.
Prostitution is illegal in the
United States, but Nevada
allows it in brothels in certain
counties.

A 17-year-old girl is arrested for

alleged prostitution in Los
Angeles. The human rights group
Amnesty International proposes
decriminalizing the sex trade
worldwide in an effort to make life
safer for prostitutes. (Getty
Images/Robert Nickelsberg)

About half of
American men
say accepting
money for sex
should be legal,
compared with
less than a third
of women. Among
all adults, nearly
three-fourths say
both prostitutes
and customers
should be
punished for
breaking
prostitution laws.

Work Cited
Alaba, Abdulrazak. Underage Prostitution: The Greatest Threat to Young
Generation. Socyberty. N.p., 1 Aug. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2016.
Bullough, Vern L., and Bonnie Bullough. Women and Prostitution: A Social History.
Print. 08 Dec. 2016
Hickenbottom, Iris Leos. Prositution: Then and Now. Womens Issues Then &
Now. N.p., 18 May 2002. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.
Lopes, Ana. Stigmatizing Sex Workers. Chartist Mar. 2006: n. pag.
www.chartist.org. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.
Venkatesh, Sudhir. Five Myths about Prostitution. The Washington Post. N.p., 12
Sept. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2016.