Referred to as a sin in the Bible and considered unethical by most citizens, prostitution has a long and turbulent history. Seen as early as the time of the Babylonian civilization, prostitution has always been a widely debated topic but not with much support, given its illegality in 166 out of 195 countries. However, making it illegal hasn't done much to slow it down. Prostitutes and sex workers have become smarter and more discreet about where, when and how to conduct business. These places, however, do not always offer them a safe space as they run the risk of being physically or sexually assaulted, and without a safe haven for adult prostitutes the number of children forced into prostitution skyrockets. There is also an increase in the number of sexually transmitted diseases when prostitution is illegal, especially among women and children. Prostitution should be decriminalized because it has existed for thousands of years and getting rid of it would be nearly impossible, it would be a safer environment for sex workers if rates of legalized and child prostitution decreased, and legal prostitution results in fewer sexually transmitted diseases for women and men. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayProstitution, as mentioned above, has existed since the time of the Babylonian civilization and most likely even before then. Once considered a sacred form of worship in temples, today prostitution is considered unethical and those who practice it are judged severely; therefore, there have been many cases in different countries where people attempted to eradicate prostitution but only succeeded for short periods of time. In the times of Ancient Rome, although oppressed by their limited participation in the law and constrained by the lack of responsibilities and privileges like those of full Roman citizens, prostitutes increased dramatically. Despite the restrictions imposed, sex workers continued to thrive and their work remained. During the Middle Ages, despite the belief and warnings of the Catholic Church, prostitution thrived even more. As seen in the 16th century, punishment in the form of ear or nose removal, branding, imprisonment, and head shaving had little effect on sex workers. Fast forward to the twentieth century, and there has been an increase in the number of women in power detained. Many people, many women, began to wonder again why more women would become prostitutes. In that period there was again a decrease in the number of brothels and prostitutes; many moral reformers took credit for this result but, in reality, this decrease was due to the birth of telephones. Some prostitutes went off the streets but began offering their services over the telephone and thus the term "call girl" was born. Now, in the United States alone there are around one million prostitutes, in the rest of the world there are around forty million and this number is constantly growing. Nearly four thousand years later, prostitution has continued and its criminalization has only just derailed it, but decriminalization would prove more effective and it is much more likely that prostitution will be completely eradicated. One of the biggest risks associated with prostitution is not having a safe haven where men and women can work. Prostitution is said to be a victimless crime and in a way it is, but it also carries risks. Many sex workers do not report rape or violence for fear of being punished. However, if prostitution were decriminalized, it would bemuch safer for workers simply doing their jobs. Because a woman does not necessarily choose her clients, she is at greater risk of violence. If prostitutes had a safe place and if prostitution was decriminalized they would not have to worry about facing this type of violence, because they would not be afraid to report such crimes to the authorities. These women and men need to have a say and legalizing prostitution would give them that chance. In Spain, where prostitution is not criminalized, women work in businesses that allow sex workers to thrive. The prostitution industry in Spain has flourished worth $26 billion, almost double that of sex clubs in the United States. This decriminalization allows sex workers to work in a safe space, free from verbal, physical or psychological torment; I'm in a position that excludes people who demonstrate this type of behavior. Meanwhile, the criminalization of prostitution forces prostitutes underground and to associate with criminal activity, particularly the use and exchange of illegal drugs for sexual purposes (Weiner 98). By having a safe space to work, women and men could continue to work in a place free from drugs and violence. There is also the problem of children in prostitution, which is known to increase when prostitution is illegal, and those children suffer violent retaliation, in the form of physical assault or even rape. Of them, the women involved in human trafficking, 70% found themselves there before the age of eighteen. Children and adolescents are at the highest risk of becoming victims of human trafficking. Traffickers often prey on children and adolescents, identifying vulnerable victims and using acts of kindness to bully them into submission. Many of these children and adolescents are then deported to other countries where a different language is spoken and where they do not know their rights; they stay for fear of worse punishment. In countries where prostitution has been decriminalized, there is a decrease in the number of children and women involved in sex trafficking. In the United States alone, the sexual exploitation of children amounts to approximately 100,000. In places where prostitution has been decriminalized, there has been a significant drop in the number of victims of sex trafficking. One of the biggest risks associated with prostitution is sexually transmitted diseases. Women and children are thirteen and a half times more likely to contract sexual diseases, due to the environment and their vulnerability. It was only as the number of HIV-positive prostitutes and their clients increased that further research was conducted to determine potential risks. In many cases, clients refused to pay for a service if they had to wear a condom, citing inconvenience, putting the prostitute at greater risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. However, if prostitution were decriminalized, incidents like these could be reported without fear of being tried as criminals. Scholars have found that male clients' economic power over sex workers inhibits sex workers' ability to engage in health-seeking practices such as condom wearing. Scholars have also argued that men need to be involved in HIV prevention programs and take responsibility for their own sexual health to impact sex workers' health-seeking practices. Placing the blame solely on prostitutes completely negates the problem at hand. Both males and females have needs.