Every year in the United States between 70,000 and 80,000 people are arrested on prostitution charges, costing tax-paying citizens over $200 million a year . 204 out of 100,000 people involved in sex work are killed. In San Francisco, 82% of prostitutes were assaulted and 68% raped while working as prostitutes. In seeking to decriminalize and regulate prostitution, the United States would safeguard the human rights of sex workers, protect the health of everyone involved, and stop using taxpayer money to hurt more than help affected parties. 67 countries around the world have legalized or limitedly legalized prostitution in their countries and appear to benefit from the legalization. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the United States, prostitution was sporadically controlled until the federal Mann Act of 1910. The Mann Act, also called the "White-Slave Traffic Act of 1910," states that it is a crime to engage in the interstate or foreign commercial transportation of "any woman or girl for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose." Although the law was established to stop sex trafficking and to criminally prosecute men who have sex with underage women, the phrase "immoral purpose" came to light during the Supreme Court ruling Caminetti v. United States (1917) which declared 'unlawful fornication', even when consensual, constituted an 'immoral purpose'. Therefore, allowing the Mann Act to allow the incarceration of prostitutes throughout the United States. In 1918 the Chamberlain-Kahn Act was passed which allowed the government of United States to arrest all women within a 5-mile radius of military bases and quarantine them if they are suspected of having a sexually transmitted disease, which would justify testing prostitution and then imprisonment would follow. Basically, if a woman was detained while walking 5 miles inside a military base with a sexually transmitted disease, she would be charged with prostitution, involved or not. On January 25, 1917, an anti-prostitution demonstration in San Francisco organized by the Reverend Paul Smith included over 20,000 participants speaking out against prostitution. 300 prostitutes participated claiming to have been forced into sex work due to poverty and circumstances, but were ignored. Over 200 brothels were closed the following week. In 1971, Mustang Ranch Nevada's first licensed brothel opened successfully and led 17 counties to legalize prostitution which eventually led to the legalization of prostitution statewide. Mustang Ranch's profits have nearly doubled those of all other brothels in the state of Nevada combined. From 1980 to 2009, prostitution was decriminalized in Rhode Island as long as it was practiced consensually indoors. In 2009, Rhode Island signed into law a bill making prostitution a misdemeanor. Finally, on April 11, 2018, the United States Congress passed the “Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act” which imposed numerous sanctions on websites and online platforms that facilitate illicit sex work. It intentionally endangers sex workers and has proven ineffective in catching sex traffickers and their victims. More than a hundred years have passed since the Mann Act came into force, countless laws against theprostitution and years of debate about how morally wrong it is. But it's still around and thriving. “Normalizing the act of buying sex also demeans men by assuming that they have the right to access women's bodies for sexual gratification. If paying for sex were normalized, then every boy would learn that women and girls are commodities to be bought and sold.' (Jimmy Carter) Putting aside moral prejudices, whether stemming from religion or an idealistic form of feminism, we as a society must discuss whether prostitution is illegal because of patriarchal moral beliefs during the early parts of our century or whether it is illegal because it violates regulations and ordinances that may cause harm to others. Prostitution has existed for hundreds of years and included both women and men. Decriminalizing prostitution will not change the mentality of young people who portray women as a commodity because prostitution is and will always be a known thing. Therefore, their mentality would have already changed. Anyone can have access to a prostitute right now, even if it's illegal. Whether on the street, on the Internet or through a friend, people can gain access to prostitutes. Whether or not the prostitute is free from sexually transmitted diseases, there is no guarantee that she will do so of her own free will and safely. The problem is the extent to which we disown individuals, especially women, who engage in sexual activity. In the case of porn and prostitutes, we disown them and at the same time enjoy the work they produce. By legalizing prostitution, the United States is recognizing something that has been happening for years and creating a system that will harm neither the buyer nor the seller. Living in a society built on the foundations of male Christians we must ask ourselves whether the illegality of prostitution was done morally or whether it has plausible reasoning without there being any religious or moral implication. Morality is for churches, employers, family members and colleagues. It is not a question of government and law. Criminal law should not be used here as a tool of punishment or shame, because sex work is not inherently immoral or humiliating. and taxed. Like drugs, gambling and other moral crimes, or alcohol prohibition in years past, the black market is nourished by draconian laws that always fail to achieve their intended purpose….” Whether or not we agree that paying for sex is moral or not, a government's duty is to protect its people and prosecute those who harm others. We are wasting resources on two consenting adults having sex for money. If your argument against this is “how do we know the prostitute is consenting?” then my answer is we don't. We don't know if he/she is consenting if she/he is not regulated. Criminalization of prostitution does not help men/women out of prostitution and legalization does not trap them in it. Regulation, however, will protect them with whatever they choose. “It is argued that legalizing or decriminalizing sex work is helpful in curbing the HIV epidemic because it allows governments to monitor and regulate the sex trade. In doing so, they can ensure that sex workers are empowered to negotiate condom use, improve their access to public services and protect them from violence and abuse….” In the state of Nevada, where there are licensed brothels and legalized prostitution, there are laws and regulations that they must follow. These laws include: Brothels cannot be located in counties with fewer than 400,000 residents. Prostitutes must be at least 18 years of age or older and must be employed of their own free will. Prostitutes mustGet tested weekly for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. Prostitutes must have a sex worker registration card. Prostitutes must use condoms. Brothels cannot be located within 400 meters of a school or place of worship. Brothels cannot be located on a main road. Brothels cannot advertise in a public theater, in public places. street or highway, or in any county, city or town where prostitution is prohibited. Legally employed people in America gain rights such as a living wage, freedom from discrimination, and a safe work environment. Since prostitutes do not work legally, they do not enjoy any of these rights. An analysis of data from 27 European countries found that countries that have legalized some aspects of sex work have significantly lower HIV prevalence among sex workers than countries where all aspects of sex work are criminalized. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Iser spoke to the Southern District Board of Health saying Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, has the highest STD rates in Nevada. This is because prostitution is not legalized or regulated in Clark County. Therefore, illegal prostitutes who may not have the means to get tested or the necessary requirements are spreading venereal diseases. Dr. Iser said, “The fact is that in surrounding counties that have legalized prostitution, STD transmission has decreased because the workers are monitored,” Iser said. “They are tested every week. I think legalizing sex work in Clark County would help keep rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and other sexual diseases under control.” Legalized brothels do not have these STD problems because there are mandatory weekly health checks. In addition to reducing the spread of disease, the regulation also requires safer working environments for sex workers. Nevada brothels offer specific protocols to protect workers by how transactions are organized, how technology is ordered, customer visibility, bureaucratic relationships between customers, managers and workers, and police cooperation based on the mere fact of their legality. . All of these mechanisms work to eliminate systematic violence and discourage an atmosphere of danger and risk. In 2015, Amnesty International published a policy recommending the decriminalization of prostitution, arguing that such action would dramatically improve the lives of sex workers through destigmatisation. Currently, under New York's Criminal Procedure Law, sex workers who have been victims of sexual crimes, including assault and rape, face greater obstacles than other victims. In fact, women report being told, “What did you expect?” by police officers who refused to investigate acts of violence perpetrated against women they knew were engaged in prostitution. The stigma that violence should be expected when engaging in sex work is dehumanizing. An example of this is Gary Ridgway. Gary Ridgway said he killed the prostitutes because he knew he would not be held responsible. In the end he was right, he confessed to the murder of 48 women, committed over almost twenty years. A big argument as to why prostitution should not be legalized is that it increases the trafficking of women to satisfy customer demands. Criminalize prostitution in order to stop trafficking.