Should Prostitution be Decriminalized?

Prostitution, considered one of the “oldest professions,” has been around since ancient Greek and Roman society. But yet, selling sex is still considered taboo in modern society. A prostitute, not to be confused with a sex slave, is someone who sells sexual services in exchange for money. Why should this exchange be demeaned immoral and thus criminalized? Sexual desires are as natural as hunger and thirst yet we do not discriminate against selling food and water. Many prostitutes, excluding sex slaves, make a conscious choice to sell their bodies in exchange for money. If a prostitute is a consenting adult, he or she should be allowed to sell their bodies. Considering modern advancements in our thinking and acceptance in society, sex workers are still seen in a negative light. Prostitution needs to be seen from the perspective of prostitute. A woman should not be arrested for choosing to exploit her own body. Instead those who choose to take advantage of her vulnerable, exploitative state should be the targets of arrests. Sex work should be accepted in our society before it can be diminished and eventually eradicated. Unfortunately, legalization and decriminalization are complicated and intricate processes with many risk factors.

Currently in the United States, prostitution is legal in only 11 counties in Nevada. An estimated 90,000 prostitution arrests occur each year throughout the United States with only a small percentage of customer arrests. “Most return to prostitution after their arrests, including many who would like to leave the work, in part because virtually no comprehensive social services exist for prostitutes.”

Currently in Sweden, prostitution is decriminalized. In essence, this means that only the buyers of sex services, and not the prostitutes involved, are punished and criminalized. This might seem like an ironic approach to decrease prostitution but it is one step to ending the demand. With decriminalization, pimps, buyers and procurers are the main targets of arrests. This would allow police efforts to be better spent on problems accompanying prostitution such as assaults and rape. Sweden does not discriminate against prostitutes but instead provides resources available to them such as health clinics, public education and opportunities to escape the business.

Although decriminalization and legalization are complicated processes, what is most important is to first accept its prevalence in society and secondly cut demand to ultimately eradicate it.

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