Time to Legalize the World's Oldest Profession

Time to Legalize the World's Oldest Profession

Prostitution is the act of offering sexual services to another person in return for money. Prostitution is often referred to as the world's oldest profession and has existed in the sex industry for centuries occurring all over the world. Since prostitution first began the debate has raged: should prostitution be legalized or not? To protect the safety of sex trade workers, the time has come to legalize prostitution.

A major argument for legalizing prostitution is the questionable logic of criminalizing an activity that occurs routinely in our society. The services of a prostitute are used regularly by many people. According to Doctor Allan Schwartz, four main reasons that men visit prostitutes are a "compulsive need for sex, an insatiable need for sexual pleasure, a fear of intimacy or relationships, and misogyny" (Schwartz). These reasons for using the services of prostitutes have existed for a long period of time and the demand for paid sex will always exist. In many segments of society paying for sex is acceptable. History has proven that eliminating prostitution is not possible. Decriminalizing the sex trade will recognize prostitutions role in our society.

Prostitution is generally an act between consenting adults and different categories include street, brothels, escorts and sex tourism. According to Sherry F. Colb of Rutgers Law School, prostitution is classified as a victimless crime. She states "What makes prostitution a victimless crime in the sense that no one is necessarily harmed by it, is that there are consenting adults involved" (Sherry Colb). Prosecuting and then clogging the already overloaded justice system with more court cases related to a consensual act is a waste of money and valued resources. If prostitution is legalized these resources will be better directed towards reducing crimes where there is a victim or a loss.

Women will be in less danger when prostitution is lawful. With legal prostitution street workers at risk can openly ask the poli

ce for help. Contrast this with the current situation where a prostitute at risk won't get help or may even be arrested if he or she contacts the police. A good example is the recent case of mass murderer Robert Pickton. Over many years Vancouver, BC east side prostitutes disappeared and eventually were found to have been murdered by Pickton. A common view is that the police didn't seriously pursue these disappearances because the women were known hookers. If prostitution had been legal the crimes would have been treated more seriously and investigated more thoroughly by the police. In this shocking case Pickton confessed to murdering 49 women. Another safety issue with illegal prostitution is that everything occurs behind closed doors. Prostitutes are shunned to dark alleys to await a business call. The lack of safe indoor work environments for prostitutes increases their risks for rape or abuse and decreases their chances of safe sex. "Enforced displacement and lack of access to safer indoor work environments independently increase sex workers' risk of physical violence and rape, and reduces their ability to safely negotiate condom use with clients, thereby protecting themselves from sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies" (Shannon)

Another alarming aspect to illegal prostitution is the exploitation of teens that are turned into underage prostitutes. According to Statistics Canada "between 10 and 15 percent of the people involved in street prostitution are under the age of 18" (Ecpat 11). Illegal prostitution allows underage kids to be recruited into the sex trade due to the lack of laws defending the legal age of a prostitute. If prostitution were legal and more open, then an age restriction of at least 18 would be easier to enforce. Underage children who become involved in prostitution typically have trouble at home and need protection from entering a life on the streets. A legal and open system of prostitution would protect children from participating in