Referred to as the "oldest profession", prostitution ". . . has long been a problem which
has provoked and disturbed Americans" (Kinsie 3). "Prostitution [is] the performance of sexual
acts, solely for the purpose of material gain" (James [NA]). Prostitution remains, excepted and
considered normal in some cultures. No gender specifics exist for prostitutes , but female
prostitutes comprise the majority of prostitutes. A person male and married characterizing the
majority of prostitutes clients, commonly referred to as a "John". Surprisingly, but true, US
prostitutes work legally in some areas. "Prostitution is currently illegal in all 50 states" (Flowers
8), with the exception of 12 rural counties in Nevada. A variety of different types of prostitutes
exist: streetwalkers, call girls, massage parlor/brothel/in house prostitutes, madams, indentured
sex slaves, escort service prostitutes, professional dominatrics, homeless, drug addicted and part
time prostitutes (Flowers 18, 19). In 1995, approximately 95,000 arrests were made (70%
female prostitutes, 20% male prostitutes and 10% customers), mostly streetwalkers; a
misdemeanor typically resulting in a fine, occasionally a 30-day jail term. More importantly than
numbers, what motivates one to choose a career of prostitution? Perhaps persuasion, coercion,
abuse, addiction or poor conditions/lifestyle and the financial lure. Legalizing prostitution ensures
regulation and taxation, allowing the police to deal with more violent crimes and reduce the abuse
of prostitutes by "Pimps".
There remain many reasons why one may favor the illegal status of prostitution. Some
see the "profession" as exploitive to women, a ". . . form of sexual slavery" (Abraham 1).
Feminists claim that prostitution reinforces the status that women represent objects, u...