America’s Necessary Evil To legalize or not to legalize prostitution, that is the dilemma that many Americans have been debating about for decades. Referred to by many as the “oldest profession”, prostitution has existed in nearly all societies throughout history. As early as the colonial period in America, prostitution was practiced and viewed by many as a necessary evil that shouldn’t be punished by society’s laws (Carmen and Moody 3). In large urban areas during the period of 1850-1900, prostitution in brothels and red-light districts was both tolerated and protected by politicians (Carmen and Moody 3). The reform movement in the first part of the twentieth century put an end to passive toleration, and politicians and police turned from being the protectors of prostitutes to being their prosecutors (Carmen and Moody 7). With the exception of Nevada legalizing brothel prostitution in 1971, all forms of prostitution are illegal in the United States. The complete legalization of prostitution in America would not only begin to help resolve some of the social problems associated with prostitution, but would also benefit the country financially through taxation. Despite the fact that prostitution is illegal, it continues to thrive in most cities across the nation. There are different types of prostitutes that exist: streetwalkers, escort service prostitutes, massage parlor prostitutes and call girls. Research indicates that over five million American women have engaged in prostitution at some point in their lives, and roughly one in every six men has been a willing client of a prostitute (Bovard 2). Even more interesting and alarming is that engaging in sexual intercourse with a street prostitute in America is now the third most common way for a male to contract the AIDS virus (“Street Cleaning” 3). Not only is the spread of AIDS a major health concern, but there is also a significant risk of spreading numerous sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis, and many other STD’s. On an average, prostitutes in America have about six hundred-ninety four sexual partners per year (Recer 12). Legalization would allow government regulation in the form of licensing and regulation of brothels, mandatory medical examination of prostitutes on a regular basis and enforcing a mandatory policy of safe sex practices. Just like doctors are required to wear latex gloves to prevent the transmission of diseases, prostitutes would be required to use condoms. This would help reduce the transmission of STD’s and other communicable diseases, providing a safer environment for the provider and customer.
To link to this page, copy the following code to your site:
All Papers Are For Research And Reference Purposes Only!
You may not turn these papers in as your own! You must cite our web site as your source!
