Prostitution is long thought of as the longest standing profession in the world. It is simply one of the most profitable markets in the world, even though it is also a taboo of modern (and past) society. There are many ethical questions that are presented in prostitution that touch on a number of general morals of the population and this will be explored here.
Legality
Out of 100 countries, there are an astounding amount of countries that have legalized or instituted limited legality of prostitution. According to ProCon.org’s (2016) analysis of legal prostitution, there are 49 countries that have legalized prostitution in some form, 12 countries that have limited legal prostitution and only 39 countries that have completely illegalized prostitution. Now, what this tells the average reader is that many countries have acknowledged prostitution as viable sources of income when both parties are consenting and of legal age in each country. In many of the countries where selling sex has been made illegal, it has been done in order to prevent sex trafficking and to reduce negative incidents that can be created within the business of prostitution.
Ethics of Selling Yourself
If one resides in an area where prostitution is legal, and one is considering the idea of selling themselves for quick cash, there are many concepts that should be considered. First up is disease testing (basically on a constant basis) and in some countries, an actual registration of prostitution. Basically, you’re telling your local authority how you’re making your money and that you’re clean enough to perform the job you’re offering. The second thing to consider is how comfortable are you sharing your body with people? Not everyone is comfortable with being flirty and physical with a strange person.
Finally, and most importantly, safety of the location where you will be performing your services and the agreements between parties. Consent is an absolute must, and in prostitution, consent can be difficult because some customers will not want to take no for an answer since you have a reputation of selling yourself.
Sexually Transmitted Disease Concerns
One of the biggest concerns, separate from sex trafficking, is the spread of sexually transmitted disease (STD’s). Medical care and health maintenance can be expensive or unavailable in some countries and without knowing that you and your paying partner are clean of STD’s , they can be very easily spread and become major issues for the country you reside in. AIDS is still spreading rapidly, as well as herpes and other permanent diseases, and these must be controlled in order to develop a healthy and happy populace. So, if you’re out there earning money with your body, be sure you’re up to date on your testing and use every precaution available to ensure that disease is not being spread.
Overall, there are many aspects that should be inspected when considering this profession, including legality and general safety precautions. However, as sex is a constant need for humanity to meet the needs of contact and intimacy, prostitution is likely to stick around, whether you like it or not.
Reference
ProCon.org. (2016, May 18). 100 Countries and Their Prostitution Policies. Retrieved from http://prostitution.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000772
No comments:
Post a Comment