Prostitution and its Decriminalization

Prostitution and Decriminalization

Prostitution is being decriminalized in response to the growing HIV/AIDS pandemic and concerns about the mistreatment of women and children. This advocacy is the result of research conducted in major American cities and Asian nations (Ahmad, 2001).

Ethics of Prostitution

Most people believe that prostitution is ethically wrong, yet other sorts of employment, such as the nuclear arms industry, can be valued similarly. Prostitution is viewed from the customer’s standpoint in moral arguments that frame it as sexual immorality. Sex focus has a tendency to make the topic radioactive. Judgment is not cast on the clients in quest of sex, most of the people who are respectable including community leaders as well as family men, but to the service providers (Raymond, 2004). Prostitution ought to be seen as a business and not sexual immorality (Nguyen et al., 2017).

Decriminalization of Prostitution

Decriminalization of prostitution identifies adults that are consenting. It stops the state from taking legal action against adults for consensual, nonaggressive sexual activity, whether money is exchanged or not. Laws already forbid violent sex that is nonconsensual, also slavery, minor sex, rape, human trafficking, as well as robbery (Farley, 2004). Criminalization of prostitution makes sex workers prosecution more difficult as well as dangerous. New Zealand is among the countries who passed a law to decriminalize sex work. A study done in 2008 shows the sex industry has not increased and the predicted evils have not been practiced (Albright & D’Adamo, 2017).

Empowerment of Sex Workers

To conclude, prostitutes should also be given leadership positions in movements envisioned to improve their lives. The people that are vulnerable as well as impacted negatively by a system that is exploitative must also be respected carefully listened. Even when we don’t agree with their selections, their lives agency must be heightened. Decriminalization is a strategy for feminists for assisting women to lead improved lives.

References

Ahmad, K. (2001). Call for decriminalization of prostitution in Asia. Lancet, 358(9282), 643.

Albright, E., & D’Adamo, K. (2017). Decreasing human trafficking through sex work decriminalization. AMA journal of ethics, 19(1), 122.

Farley, M. (2004). “Bad for the body, bad for the heart”: prostitution harms women even if legalized or decriminalized. Violence against women, 10(10), 1087-1125.

Nguyen, C., Furman, R., & Ackerman, A. R. (2015). Sex Work and Agency: Decriminalization of Prostitution.

Raymond, J. G. (2004). Prostitution on demand: Legalizing the buyers as sexual consumers. Violence against women, 10(10), 1156-1186.