Legalizing Prostitution in America PDF

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a look into the sex worker industry...

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Legalizing Prostitution in America

Prostitution is one of the oldest professions in the world, and also one of the most controversial. Although it is legal and regulated in some countries around the world and in parts of Nevada, it is still illegal in the rest of the population of the United States. Prostitution is not going away any time soon, and keeping it illegal is not enough to deter sex workers. Because of this, prostitution should be legalized all across the country in order to regulate the business and take advantage of the resources it can generate. There are several reasons to push for the legalization of prostitution in America, such as generating money through tax revenue, reducing violence against women and improving their working conditions, and to save valuable law enforcement resources. Even organizations like the World Health Organization have made a push for the full decriminalization of sex work in order to provide more sanitary conditions and better access to healthcare to workers. The United States is behind the times on this issue, and because of this the country is missing out on millions of dollars of potential revenue and forcing women to work in unsafe, unregulated conditions.

The biggest reason prostitution should be legalized in America is for the revenue it can generate through taxes. Similar to the legalization of marijuana in some states, legalizing prostitution would provide extra tax revenue that could be used for various needs. The legal brothels in Nevada bring in an estimated $75 million in revenue every year, while it is estimated that illegal sex businesses in Las Vegas alone generate roughly $5 billion every year (Flowers). A legal sex worker in Nevada can make an annual income of $100,000 working just one week per

month. This would mean that the worker would contribute over $20,000 in federal taxes per year (Ayers). In a 2007 study in Atlanta, it was determined that the city has an illegal sex economy valued at $290 million (Johnson). That is more money than the payroll of Atlanta’s professional football team, the Atlanta Falcons. It was also estimated that the average pimp in the area makes over $30,000 weekly in cash income. That is money that could be going back to the state if the work was legalized and regulated. These businesses would generate much needed tax revenue that could be used to improve the conditions of the city and state in which they operate. It is estimated that there are roughly 1 million prostitutes operating in the United States alone as of 2012 (Lubin). Since they currently pay no taxes, that is a lot of potential revenue that is lost due to sex work being illegal.

Women working as prostitutes in areas where it is illegal are often put in dangerous situations. These situations can include unsanitary work conditions, being forced to pay for protection, risky or unstable customers, and the lack of proper medical treatment and testing. Sex workers face several forms of violence including physical, sexual, and emotional or psychological violence. In one study, 82 percent of participants responded that they had been physically assaulted since entering prostitution, 83 percent said that they had been threatened with a weapon, and 68 percent said that they had been raped while working as a prostitute (Farley). Some have even gone on to develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of their traumatic encounters during their work. It is important to remember that although the work is illegal, sex workers are still regular people trying to make ends meet and support their loved ones. If their work was legalized and regulated, they would have the ability to work in a safe and clean environment without having to worry about being attacked or assaulted. They

would also have better access to healthcare and screening to help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and infections. Since sex workers are estimated to be 13 times more at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than an average person, having access to healthcare and prophylactics is a must. Studies have estimated that, if key societal factors such as violence and safer work environments were addressed, the rate of HIV infection in sex workers could be reduced by up to 46 percent over the next decade (Avert). This would have a huge impact in slowing the spread of the potentially fatal virus. Decriminalizing and regulating sex work has the possibility of improving the quality of life for the estimated 1 million sex workers that operate in America today.

There are many great risks to citizens of the United States that law enforcement agents have to be prepared for. The illegal nature of prostitution places a heavy burden on police officers, courts, and other law enforcement agencies that are responsible for the investigation and disruption of sex work. These are resources and hours that could be spent pursuing violent criminals or other dangers to society. In a study conducted in the 1980’s, it was discovered that 16 cities in the United States each spent roughly $15.3 million in one year combating illegal sex work (Shively). In another more recent study in the city of Chicago, it was estimated that in 2001, prostitution arrests cost the city over $10 million. With an estimated 11 percent of convicted prostitutes ending up in jail for a period of time, there is also considerable cost to the tax-payer to support the jails (Pearl). In one case, a woman in Ohio was booked into jail over 40 times on prostitution related charges. She served a total of 1,316 days in jail. In total, with jail time, court costs, and medical attention, the total amount spent on this one case was over $100,000 (Sullivan). This is a staggering amount when the number of sex workers in the country

is estimated to be over a million. There are no doubt similar cases out there all across the country where people have been arrested repeatedly, causing a huge drain on resources to local law enforcement and court systems.

It is hard to determine exactly when prostitution began, but there are Sumerian records dating back to 2400 BC that reference sex work (Lerner). It is hard to believe that such an ancient profession is still being outlawed in America despite all the potential benefits it could generate. The country is missing out on potentially millions of dollars in tax revenue, not to mention decriminalization of prostitution would also provide a safe and sanitary workplace for sex workers. Healthcare and health related services are also a dire need for the profession, a need which could also be addressed with legalization and regulation. Several countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Austria, and others have already legalized and regulated prostitution and continue to benefit from the money generated. In Germany alone, it is estimated that the sex industry is worth over $16 billion (O’Sullivan). There are many areas in the United States that could take advantage of increased tax revenue for things like repair to local infrastructure. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, America’s infrastructure grade is a D+. This means the infrastructure is poor and ask risk, with many elements approaching the end of their service life. Roads, bridges, water treatment plants, and even schools all across the country are in need of repair, and funds are lacking. Legalizing and regulating the sex work industry in America has the potential to generate enough tax revenue to assist with the rebuilding of these crumbling neighborhoods and improve conditions, not just for the workers, but for everyone in the community.

Works Cited

Ayres, Chris. “Cathouses Find Sex Is Taxing the Wild West.” The Times, 2003, www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cathouses-find-sex-is-taxing-the-wild-west-xhznbg6dtfc.

Farley, Melissa, and Howard Barkan. “Prostitution, Violence, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Prostitution Research, 1998, web.archive.org/web/20120918115439/www.prostitutionresearch.com/prostitution_research/000 021.html.

Flowers, Ronald Barri. Prostitution in the Digital Age Selling Sex from the Suite to the Street. Praeger, 2011.

Johnson, Matthew. “Economics of the Underground Commercial Sex Industry.” Urban.Org, 2014, apps.urban.org/features/theHustle/index.html.

Lerner, Gerda. “The Origin of Prostitution in Ancient Mesopotamia.” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, vol. 11, no. 2, 1986, pp. 236–254., doi:10.1086/494218.

Lubin, Gus. “There Are 42 Million Prostitutes In The World, And Here's Where They Live.” Business Insider, 17 Jan. 2012, www.businessinsider.com/there-are-42-million-prostitutesin-the-world-and-heres-where-they-live-2012-1.

O'Sullivan, Feargus. “Across Europe, a Growing Sense That Legalized Prostitution Isn't Working.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 5 Dec. 2013, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/201312-05/across-europe-a-growing-sense-that-legalized-prostitution-isn-t-working.

“Sex Workers, HIV and AIDS.” Avert, 10 Oct. 2019, www.avert.org/professionals/hivsocial-issues/key-affected-populations/sex-workers.

Shively, Michael. U.S. Department of Justice, 2012, pp. 17–18, A National Overview of Prostitution and Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Efforts, www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/238796.pdf.

Sullivan, Lucas. “Prostitution Policing Efforts Are Costly for Taxpayers.” Springfield, Springfield News Sun, 3 July 2011, www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/local/prostitutionpolicing-efforts-are-costly-for-taxpayers/ZfHZjJoVK978rymGZntA4K/....