Prostitution As A Legal Work – An Opinion Post

With the collapsing economy, peanut-sized income from jobs, and scarcity of skilled jobs for interested individuals, people have been on the lookout for ways to make ends meet, and to ensure the survival of their loved ones (whether legal or illegal) which has brought us to this topic, should we legalize prostitution or not?

With the above in mind, prostitution (sex work) in a layman’s language is the practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment. It should also be noted that sex work has an ancient history that dates back many years.

The following are some reasons why sex work (prostitution) should probably be legalized:

1. It’s a source of income for some individuals: the truth is that most people that engage in prostitution do so to afford quality food, clothing, and shelter. According to International Labour Organization (ILO), sex workers also support between 5-8 other people with their earnings.
   
2. Reduces rape cases, sexual abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases: According to researchers at UCLA, When Rhode Island legalized indoor prostitution for some years, they experienced a 31 per cent decrease in reported rapes and a similar decline in cases of gonorrhoea. Legalizing prostitution empowers the government to impose regular health check-ups for workers, and educate workers on the importance of condoms and other contraceptives which would eventually reduce the rate of spread of STDs.
   
3. Increases tax revenue for the government: sex work is a low-key rich business and a lot of money is being used by the government to curb this act. instead of curbing it, why not tax sex workers and legalize it? Sex workers can be taxed. According to Wikipedia, “The prostitution trade in the United States is estimated to generate $14 billion a year”, which can lead to the growth of the economy.
   
4. Empowers interested women and offers protection, and better care: the Truth be said, not legalizing prostitution does not completely eradicate it, it only changes the curve of flow which indirectly places sex workers (women) at risk of being abused, underpaid, or even molested without being able to seek justice from the appropriate quarters.
   

Lastly, in support of legalizing prostitution, according to Ninos P. Maleek (Professor of Economics), “Consensual sex is legal. But as soon as one party offers cash to another in exchange for sex and that money is voluntarily accepted, it’s considered prostitution, and that is illegal. This is hypocritical, illogical, and wasteful – and it needs to stop…Perhaps you think sex work is an immoral lifestyle. However, it is arguably no less moral than a lifestyle of random ‘hooking up.’ It is the duty of the government to protect property rights and to prosecute individuals who coerce or force themselves upon others. However, the government needs to stop wasting resources on voluntary, adult sexual exchanges… It is time to put an end to this hypocritical and wasteful prosecution of sex workers and their clients.”

In conclusion, as much as there are benefits involved in legalizing prostitution, it is also important to state that legalizing sex work also has its disadvantages which can be brought to a minimal level with the support of the government and society at large.

Judging beyond religious protocols and moral etiquette, I think prostitution should be legalized.