Legalization of Prostitution Prostitution 101 An Ethical Look At The Oldest Profession. Cisqo Diaz Toris Richardson Brittany Russotto What Is Prostitution? The Selling and Buying of Sex. What Are We Debating? Legalization Is It Right Or Wrong? 1
Divine Command Theory If God commands it, it is right. If God forbids it, it is wrong. Prostitution Is Wrong!! 1 Corinthians 6:13 says...but our bodies were not made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies." Proverbs 23:27-28 says A A prostitute is a deep pit; an adulterous woman is treacherous. She hides and waits like a robber, looking for another victim who will be unfaithful to his wife. Prostitution Facts In study of 475 people women, men, and transgender-- in South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, USA, and Zambia report the following: 62 % reported having been raped in prostitution. 73% reported having experienced physical assault in prostitution. 72% were currently or formerly homeless. 92% started that they wanted to escape immediately. Legalization of Prostitution Might: Promote Sex Trafficking. Expand the Sex Industry Further. Increases street prostitution. Degrade women. 2
Health Risks For Street Prostitutes: Premature Death Homicide Suicide Drug and Alcohol Related Problems HIV Abuse from Clients and Pimps. Poor Mental Health. Health Risks For Buyers: Contracting STD or HIV Approximately half of all street prostitutes in New York City and Washington D.C. have the HIV virus. Where Is It Legal? Brothels are Legal in: Nevada, United States Amsterdam, Netherlands What are Brothels? House of Prostitution; a building where prostitutes are available. There are about 30 in Nevada. Employ around 300 prostitutes in throughout the state. Work as independent contractors. Pay Taxes. Brothels take care of prostitutions in a business manner. Brothels handle women like a merchandise and provide protection for it. 3
Nevada Laws Any county with a population less than 400,000 is allowed to license brothels. (The only county with more than 400,000 people is Clark County where Las Vegas is.) Counties and Cities can then choose if they want to permit or prohibit brothels. Each county is different. Licensing fees range from an annual $100,000 to an annual $200. Licensed prostitutes must be at least 21 years old in most counties except for two, where the legal age is 18. State law requires that registered brothel prostitutes be checked weekly for several sexually transmitted diseases and monthly for HIV; furthermore, condoms are mandatory for all oral sex and sexual intercourse. Brothel owners may be held liable if customers become infected with HIV after a prostitute has tested positive for the virus. Nevada Laws Against: Engaging in prostitution outside of licensed brothels. Encouraging others to become prostitutes. Living off the proceeds of a prostitute. Brothels advertising their services in counties where brothel prostitution is illegal. Protection For Prostitutes Health Risks in Legalized Brothels Brothels hire bodyguards to look over for prostitution in case a problem come up. The women that wish to involve in prostitution must be test for any type of STD that could develops. These woman have healthy life and are given the chance to bring themselves from poverty. Clients are deal with prostitute are monitor to maintained well organized service and quality. Unlike streetwalkers these woman are protected, tested and in a drug free environment. Since 1986, when mandatory testing began, not a single brothel prostitute has ever tested positive for HIV. The mandatory condom law was passed in 1988. A study conducted in 1995 in two brothels found that condom use in the brothels is consistent and sexually transmitted diseases are accordingly absent. 4
Benefits of Legalization 81% of young mothers age 18-24, 69% of those age 25-34, and 57% overall do not have enough money to maintain a decent standard of living. The prostitution market earnings vary considerably, but even the street walker can make $300 a night and a prostitute in Las Vegas can earn up to $250,000 a year. Get many prostitutes off the street and into a controlled environment. Reduce law enforcement resources used to fight street prostitution Benefits Cont. Reduce Trafficking. Gives prostitutes more rights and better working conditions. Including reducing or eliminating the victimization of prostitutes by pimps, johns, and other criminal elements. Prostitutes could report attacks. Police could focus more child prostitution and trafficking. Battered Women and Prostitutes Most women in prostitution have pimps, who are sometimes called boyfriends or managers. Prostitutes endure the same verbal and physical abuse that battered women do. Isolation Denial The Batterer vs The Pimp Power and Control Threats Intimidation 5
ASK YOURSELF. Would legalizing prostitution minimize the abuse that prostitutes suffer? Would legalizing prostitution provide a income for women that would otherwise live off taxpayer money? Does prostitution degrade the individual? Do we also degrade them by our actions? 6