I've often pondered this, because living in a big city, one sees prostitution going on all the time illegally, and nothing much has ever seemed to stop it. It just gets controlled by gangs, shady pimps, and organized crime. It's a lot more dangerous than if it could be out in the open. So I'm in favor of having it made legal, and also having people be licensed/tested for STDs. You're certainly never going to stop it, and the way the laws are now, it's almost always the prostitute who suffers legally (generally women), while the customers (generally men) get off with light sentences, if anything.
A lot of people that go to prostitutes do so because they have morbid sexual fantasies. They are saddists that want to be able to knock girls out or be rough with them. This isn't all, but it's a lot. This would be illegal no matter what way you cut it, so illegal prostitution will always exist unless we legalize beating people up. Legalizing it will also most likely lure more people into it than their already are, and prostitution is already linked to developing mental health issues. It shouldn't be legal what so ever. There are only a few people who can be a hooker and not be totally fucked up in the head afterwards. It's too much of a risk, and would be a drain. Stripping already causes mental health problems, and substance abuse problems, and I don't even think that should be legal. You should be able to strip for someone, but not for money. Leave it where it is. It'll only get worse trying to legalize it. Also to the OP's train of thought, if you lived in say Detroit or Chicago where there is a Murder every day, would you advocate it's legality just because it was common and present? Most likely not, somethings existence shouldn't equate legalization. We make things illegal knowing those laws are going to be broken, but it does deter people from doing so. No one should be told it's ok to let someone fuck you for money. No one can argue against mental health problems and substance abuse problems that develop among strippers and hookers, legalizing it and putting standards won't fix it. The girls are still giving their bodies up to random strangers doing something completely intimate for cash. It isn't a respectable job, there are so many reasons why someone would become messed up after prostituting. It devalues you, it isn't a job you can tell your family about;therefore many prosi's already have family issues it isn't a job that non-desperate people choose. No one wakes up and says I wish I could have fat old men paying to fuck me, unless they are addicted to something because at least they get high after.
The only problem I have with prostitution is when people find themselves doing it because they have no other choice. Legalising it does nothing to solve that problem, but honestly I'd rather if people felt they HAD to do it, they did it somewhere safe and regulated than the way it happens now...
Yes. There are problems to be addressed, but it can only be a good thing if people have access to legal protection, testing etc.
I've noted it's legal/legal with regulations in Australia, and most of Western Europe, and chaos does not appear to have broken out...I think leaving it as an underground, underworld activity is much more dangerous to everyone concerned.
Prostitution is already legal in the UK, but pimping and brothels are prohibited. However, it isn't regulated. Here is a map showing prostitution laws - red means illegal, blue means legal (pimping etc illegal), and green means legal but regulated. For some reason, Sweden, Norway and Iceland have made prostitution illegal.
Yes, it should be legal. What you decide to do with your own body is your business, not the governments. Of course, underage/forced prostitution should remain illegal, and the penalties against their pimps/customers should be MUCH more stiff. Testing is a good idea, too.
It's legal here, and I hope it is never banned. The problem with banning it legally is that it doesn't stop it existing. What we end up with is an entire profession unable to seek legal help and in a horrid position in terms of getting welfare an other aid. It punishes often vulnerable people on the pretext of helping them. Sex workers are regularly raped, abused, an otherwise mistreated, but it's often dismissed as their own fault and an inherent risk of sex work. That needs to be regulated, and sex wokers need to be able to easily get legal protection. They can't if that means handing themselves over to the authorities who will fine or arrest them. Sex workers face massive stigma. I don't want to see that reflected in law.
Sweden and Norway have made it illegal because legalizing prostitution opens the door for sex trafficking. And when you regulate the brothels - it's even worse. The locals in brothels are fine, but the illegal prostitution (lots of trafficked people) get to deal with all the sick ''customers'' who are prohibited to realize their fantasies in the brothels. Legalization does more bad than good. Or, to be more precise - it is legal to be a prostitute in these countries, they won't be punished. However, those who buy their services will be.
when you regulate the brothels - it's even worse. The locals in brothels are fine, but the illegal prostitution (lots of trafficked people) get to deal with all the sick ''customers'' who are prohibited to realize their fantasies in the brothels. While that may be true, that doesn't actually change anything. I mean those same 'sick' customers are going to get their nasty on illegally anyway. The difference is that those who aren't sex trafficing rapists can actually use a service without fear of going to prison, and those who provide the service are able to do so in a safe(r) environment. You are right in the sense that legalising it wouldn't do anything to STOP the illegal side of things, but I think that is a different issue.
Ah, I see. You mention that legalising prostitution opens the door to sex trafficking - but the situation in the UK or Germany is no worse than in Scandinavia, from what I can gather.
Most people who hire sex workers have profound disabilities - and often it's the only way that they are able to get any form of sexual release. So yes, prostitution should be legal, and well regulated.
It should be legal and heavily regulated. Prostitution if it is consensual and both participants are of age is a victimless crime. It would also bring down the human trafficking numbers.