Legalizing Prostitution
... who suffer from the mental stress of being abused wouldn't feel that they needed to turn to something illegal because that's all they are capable of. They could get a real job, earn real money and maybe get their life back on track. Prostitution is a major issue in the United States and the problems that arise because of it cannot be solved simply by outlawing prostitution because it is already illegal and no matter how many laws are passed against it, prostitution will always be around. Prostitution arrests cause long-term increases in crime and drug abuse in society. When a woman is charged for a sex crime it's put on her permanent record and makes her unemployable. Not only is arrest for prostitution hurtful to women but it is a promoter of the practice. When a woman is arrested for prostitution, she now has a sex crime on her record and the only work she can find for herself upon her release is prostituting herself. The only way to stop this cycle is to legalize this "crime" that is called prostitution. If prostitution were legalized, it would have to be heavily regulated. Regular testing for drug abuse and sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and herpes would need to be done, and facilities would need to be monitored and sanitary. People could be properly (medically) treated and testing would be mandatory for both prostitutes and clients. The minimum age for prostitutes should be 18 years old, and customers would have to provide valid proof of age, and documentation stating that they are clean of all transmittable diseases. That aspect of it could be very similar to a sperm bank. Legalizing prostitution would prevent abuse on the women by their pimps. Women wouldn't be afraid to call the police to report such abuse because they would know that they weren't doing anything illegal and by calling, they can't be jailed as well. Legalizing prostitution would also prevent underage-prostitution. It is estimated that 100,000 to 3 million teens are invisibly prostituted per year in the U.S. With controlled environments, underage teens could be stopped right away. Prostitutes are raped, on the average, 8-10 times per year. About 80% of women in prostitution have been the victim of a rape. They are the most raped class of women in the history of our planet. With legalized prostitution and the proper safety precautions, prostitutes can be kept away from those who intend to do harm to them or they can feel comfortable about calling for help which will help to catch these rapists. Although legalizing prostitution seems to have many good points, it also has many bad points. People who normally would not have gotten involved with prostitution might now be more inclined to do so because there are no legal consequences and there aren't any education qualifications. While minors would not be allowed to directly participate in prostitution, they might now see it as a possible career choice. It could cause marital problems with husbands and wives who legally engage in such practices that could be considered "cheating" on their spouse. It could bring prostitution to ...