Djurisic 1
Luka Djurisic
Holly Hunt
English 1020
2/25/2013
Is legalizing prostitution a good idea?
Prostitution is the oldest profession there is, or so says an old adage. It is certainly one of
the most controversial ones. Many people believe it is high time that the profession was legal.
Others oppose the legalization of prostitution because they believe that not only would it increase
the occurrence of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, but also violent crimes
sometimes associated with prostitution like rape and homicide would increase. Many feminist
and humanitarian opponents to legalization say that it is a profession that exploits people,
represses the workers, and adds to what many believe is a global epidemic of human trafficking
for sexual purposes. Finally, and maybe their biggest concern, opponents of legalizing
prostitution say it is immoral and by legalizing society would be sending a message to young
people that promiscuity was an acceptable practice. Vanwesenbeeck offers another perspective to
all of these issues.
Proponents of legalizing prostitution counter with some of the same arguments as those
who oppose only those in favor of legalization come from a different perspective. They say
legalizing prostitution would lower crime, since it would do away with at least one, and
regulation of the industry would lower the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and
HIV/AIDS because it would be closely monitored. Not only that, legalizing and regulating
Djurisic 2
prostitution would free police from enforcing a law that has an unending supply of perpetrators,
bring in much needed tax revenues and provide a pathway out of poverty for many people.
Prostitutes, proponents argue, could work in safe and clean environments instead of clandestinely
and on the streets like they do now. Besides, prostitution is a victimless crime, say those who
favor legalization, and should not be banned because some people find it immoral. The decision
of whether or not to engage in prostitution either from the provider or client perspective should
be left up to consenting adults to decide for themselves and not the government.
Ine Vanwesenbeeck’s article, “Prostitution Push and Pull: Male and Female Perspectives,”
discusses several issues that pertain to prostitution including the trafficking controversy and the
fact that the number of male prostitutes is growing. Vanwesenbeeck spends most of the article
though discussing motivation and how male and female prostitutes differ in their view of the
