Why prostitution should be legalized
Prostitution is one of the oldest professions in the world. However, it is a growing concern around the globe. A number of country governments appear to have no concrete answer to prostitution. Even though many countries have legalized prostitution, it is strongly condemned in other nations because of the religious and cultural factors. In the recent past, prostitution has remained a fruitful business for many. A number of people hire prostitutes and trade them to men I search of sexual pleasures for a lot of money. The question that the governments are currently addressing concerns the reasons for the continuous expansion of prostitution industry in spite of its prohibition. It is beyond doubt that prostitution as a profession has been prohibited by many countries. However, it is a prevalent part and parcel of the society. The society has unconsciously and consciously accepted the existence of prostitution (Schatkin 20-23). Therefore is this a reason to legalize prostitution? This paper seeks to discuss reasons why prostitution should be legalized.
Prostitution involves the use of one’s body for sexual satisfaction of others in exchange for money or material things. People consider their body their own property. Therefore, as the government grants human fundamental rights, prostitutes are also advocating for the right to use their body in a manner they so please provided they do not harm someone else. This is considered as a fundamental human right and the constitution of majority of countries provides for it. Therefore, the government should allow people to use their body as they please given they do not harm or infringe the rights of other people. Even though the government has much power over the health of its citizens, it should not dictate whether people have the right to pay for sex or not, especially for consenting adults. It is a personal choice and individual decision that the government should not have power on (Richards 33-35).
Prostitution as a profession has been associated with a lot of crimes and problems. As an example, nations where prostitution is legal experience fewer cases of sexual trafficking and rape compared to countries where prostitution is illegal. It is not possible for police to protect the rights of prostitutes and keep them off violence when their profession is considered illegal in the first place. It is not possible to call and report a crime when at the same time committing a crime (Schatkin 25-27). The end result is that prostitutes remain objects of violence, and putting their abusers to justice is hard and problematic. For example, Ridgway Gary, a serial killer who murdered 48 women reported that he murdered prostitutes because he was certain the law enforcers would not hold him accountable. In addition, legalization of prostitution will result into a decline in sexually transmitted infections. A number of such diseases can be minimized through legalizing prostitution. This is because when prostitution is legalized, prostitutes will be forced to regularly get tested and would can adequate access to medical consultations and contraceptives. For this reason, it is beneficial to the society at large to legalize prostitution (Richards 36-39).
Poverty is a major cause of prostitution among women. It is the only profession women can do without straining and avoid being stricken by poverty. So when the government is not able to offer employment to women who are vulnerable to poverty, the same government needs to allow such women to fend for themselves no matter the means. The government does not need to deprive such women the right to use their own bodies to generate income given they do not harm the rights of other citizens (Cathcart et al 45-47). Prostitution could be the only thing keeping such women from eating from a dumpster. Nonetheless, the government does not normally care about what individual common families feed on; it is much concerned with regulating anything it perceives as not right: paying for sex. One of the major advantages of legalizing prostitution is that the government will be in a position to regulate it. This would most likely make prostitution a more supervised profession, and would not spread HIV/AIDS and herpes among other disease at the rate it does in the current illegal situation. Prostitutes would be subjected to regular test same as it is done in places where prostitution is legal (Taylor 74-77).
It is a cold fact that through restricting solicitation of sex, the government is restricting individual freedoms. Personal freedom ceases to exist in situations where restrictions are put on activities such as prostitution. It is an individual decision to pay for sex. For a consenting adult, practicing prostitution should be legalized to enable those whose livelihoods depend on it to survive. In order to legalize prostitution, people could be reached via the beneficial aspects, protesting, and voting to legalize it. Just like Gay rights are gradually being acknowledged and accepted in the society; prostitutes need the same recognition and acceptance. They are also part of the society (McLaren 98-101).
Legalizing prostitution will ensure that it is supervised. Instead of spending huge sums of money fighting against prostitution and making the lives of prostitutes miserable, the government should support it and ensure that safety measures are taken. The government needs to focus on keeping safety and order in the prostitution industry through controlling the acts of prostitutes. Through this, prostitutes will be able to report any abuses and their abuser will be brought to justice. Prostitutes will also be regularly tested and the spread of sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS will be greatly reduced. Obviously, this is a beneficial aspect of legalizing prostitution (Taylor 78-80).
Legalizing prostitution would make it a new business industry on its own. It could be a new means of life for women. Research shows that majority of women who are living under poverty seek refuge in prostitution profession and are doing well. It is a lucrative business: one of the world’s oldest professions. The prostitution industry could develop new jobs like legal pimps to take over towns and cities. People are also being asked constantly to spend their money within their borders instead of foreign countries. This lead to tax breaks. The circulation of money in this industry could help minimize the cost of unemployment. According to the study conducted by the Legalize Prostitution Group of Southern Florida, prostitution reduces unemployment rate by about 15 percent (McLaren 102-104).
In conclusion, prostitution should be legalized for the reasons discussed above. Majority of people are getting into prostitution as a profession to fend for their families. The government should accord such people their right to use their body as they please. It is actually a freedom of choice (Cathcart et al 48).
Works Cited
Cathcart, Kevin J, et al. Biblical and Near Eastern Essays: Studies in Honor of Kevin J.
Cathcart. London: T & T Clark International, 2008. Internet resource.
McLaren, John, and Hamar Foster. Legal History of British Columbia and the Yukon,
University of Toronto Press, 2007. Print.
Richards, David A. J. Sex, Drugs, Death and the Law: An Essay on Human Rights and
Over criminalization. Totowa, N.J: Rowman and Littlefield, 2007. Print.
Schatkin, Andrew J. Essays on the Christian Worldview and Others Political, Literary,
and Philosophical. Lanham, Md: Hamilton Books, 2011.
Taylor, Betty W. Feminist Jurisprudence, Women and the Law: Critical Essays,
Research Agenda and Bibliography. Littleton, Colo: Rothman, 2009. Print.
