Part 1: Legalization Model:

Should we decriminalize prostitution in the United States?

This is a question that many people are debating. It seems like an honest question. For many people this is a question of morality. For others it’s a question of freedom of choice. If someone chooses to sell their own body for money, shouldn’t they be allowed to?

So, do laws that criminalize prostitution violate the constitution? The answer to that is no. The 10th Amendment gives States the power to create their own laws that are not delegated by the United States Constitution.

Prostitution is legal in parts of The State of Nevada. Let’s take a closer look at the legalization model we have here in the U.S. In Nevada, there are 10 out of 17 counties that have legalized prostitution. The regulations are as follows:

• Population of county must be less than 700,000 people

• Prostitution is only legal in licensed brothels

• Sex workers must be tested for sexually transmitted infections weekly or monthly

• Sex workers must use condoms and other barriers to prevent the spread of disease

• Soliciting sex workers is prohibited

• Sex workers must be at least 18 years old

While these all seem like reasonable restrictions, how well are they regulated? According to News Now in Las Vegas, a new study is showing a rise in cases of sexually transmitted diseases across the State of Nevada. These diseases include HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia. According to the news article, the study showed STD rates per 100,000 residents for the year 2000 jumped from 276 to 857 in 2020.

https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/new-study-shows-rise-in-std-cases-across-nevada/

Back to the question of how well are these restrictions regulated? It would look as though; it’s not being regulated.

That’s only one topic. Another topic is sexual assault. According to the National Library of Medicine, adult sex workers reported that 82% had been physically assaulted; 83% had been threatened with a weapon; 68% had been raped while “working”; and 84% reported current or past homelessness. A 2004 study found that the homicide rate for active female sex workers in Colorado Springs from 1967 to 1999 was 18 times higher than the rate for women of similar age and race.

Physical assault, threats with weapons, rape, murder and homelessness should not ever be generic working conditions.