Prostitution in our society

Running Header : PROSTITUTION

Prostitution in Our Society

Prostitution is known as the world 's oldest profession Throughout history there have been men , women and children who sold themselves or were sold by others for sex . Society 's view of prostitution differs from culture to culture but whether or not it is approved of , prostitution is in every country

The decision to whether or not to make prostitution legal depends upon the society 's view of it , the legal ramifications and the economic effect it will have on the country or state

in question

In some countries prostitution is one of the few sources of income for the poor in others it is considered to be the ultimate shame . There are more countries that have legalized prostitution in the last few decades than there are ones who haven 't but the stigma to prostitutes does not go away just because they are legalized . Prostitution can be divided into three basic categories . These are street , brothel and escort type prostitution (Wikipedia , 2007 ) The type of prostitution can mean the difference between legal and illegal in some countries

Street prostitution is the most well known form of prostitution with girls walking the streets to attract business . Some prostitutes are independent but most have a guardian or pimp ' that provide protection , and many times abuse , for a large cut of the money earned

Brothel prostitution is prostitution from a house or building where the prostitutes live and work . These are usually run by a madam ' or female pimp . The prostitutes are treated better in the brothels and keep more of their earnings

Escort prostitution is done through an escort service and the prostitutes are highly paid and independent

While there are male prostitutes as well , prostitution is predominantly female . Most male prostitutes cater to men with the exception of the escort males . The age of consent for legal

prostitution varies from country to country but underage prostitution is a problem in many countries . Some societies do not approve of street prostitution but will tolerate an escort service . Others have legalized the brothels but not the escort services

Prostitution is currently legal in : Canada , the Netherlands Germany , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Brazil , Turkey , Australia , Greece , New Zealand and Turkey . Many of these countries have stipulations regarding the type of prostitution allowed and the laws that apply to it

Prostitution is illegal in : the United States (except Nevada Thailand (although it is not enforced , Turkey (street prostitution is illegal ) and Japan (except fellatio prostitution . n most Asian and Middle Eastern countries , prostitution is illegal but widely tolerated (Britannica , 2007

The debate between legalizing and not legalizing prostitution has advocates on both sides . The groups who want to legalize it state that violence against prostitutes would decrease if prostitution were legalized , making it a legitimate form of commerce (Icasa , 2007

Those opposed to legalization counter that it does not protect the prostitutes and it encourages sex trafficking (prostitutionresearch , 2007 ) Both sides have valid points and the debate...