NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Prostitution

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message.
This article has been tagged since March 2007.

"Whore" redirects here. For other uses, see Whore (disambiguation)

A sex worker in Germany.

Prostitution describes the act of sexual intercourse in exchange for money. However, its definition may be extended loosely to include any sexual act for any type of compensation; depending on the location where the act occurs. In different regions around the world, punishment for prostitution varies from the death penalty to complete legality. A woman who engages in sexual intercourse with only one man for support is a mistress. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Look up whore in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1368x1712, 456 KB) Ein biÃŸchen genervt. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1368x1712, 456 KB) Ein biÃŸchen genervt. ... A sex worker in Germany A sex worker is a person who earns money by providing sexual services. ... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ... Economics offers various definitions for money, though it is now commonly defined as any good or token that functions as a medium of exchange that is socially and legally accepted in payment for goods and services and in settlement of debts. ... Sexual behavior is a form of physical intimacy that may be directed to reproduction (one possible goal of sexual intercourse) and/or to the enjoyment of activity involving sexual gratification. ... Compensation has several different meanings as indicated below. ... Madame de Pompadour the mistress of King Louis XV of France. ...

The term is used, loosely, to indicate someone who engages in sexual acts that are disapproved;^[1] whether acts outside of marriage, or as a means to an affluent life style or the status associated with the customer. Cultural usage varies widely, and the use of the term as a pejorative indicates acts that are not formally considered prostitution in a cultural context. A tributary (or affluent or confluent) is a contributory stream, a river that does not reach the sea, but joins another major river (a parent river), to which it contributes its waters, swelling its discharge. ...

Terminology

The English word whore, referring to (female) prostitutes, is taken from the Old English word hōra (from the Indo-European root kā meaning "desire") but usage of that word is widely considered pejorative and prostitute is considered a less value-laden term. The French euphemism grande horizontale is sometimes used. In Germany most prostitutes' organizations deliberately use the word Hure (whore) since they feel that prostitute is a bureaucratic term and an unnecessary euphemism for something not in need of euphemisms. See also: call girl, courtesan, escort, female companion. Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... A euphemism is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive, disturbing, or troubling to the listener than the word or phrase it replaces, or in the case of doublespeak to make it less troublesome for the speaker. ... A call girl is a prostitute who is not visible to the general public, like a street walker, and who does not usually belong to an institution like a brothel. ... A courtesan in mid-16th century usage was a high-class prostitute or mistress, especially one associated with rich, powerful, or upper-class men who provided luxuries and status in exchange for her services. ... Look up escort in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

"The Procuress" by Dirck van Baburen

Prostitutes are not the only people who have sex for money. Porn actors and actresses get paid for having sex, but they are both paid by a third party, the porn producer. A prostitute is paid by the person who he/she has sex with.

Organisers of prostitution are typically known as pimps (if male), madams (if female), and mama-sans if female and Asian. More formally, they practice procuring, and are procurers, or procuresses. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Madam or maam is a title for a woman. ... The term mama-san or mamasan refers to a woman who works in a supervisory role in certain establishments in East Asia, typically those related to sex work, but sometimes in drinking places as well. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Another generalisation is using the term or an equivalent to mean any form of earning well in an unscrupulous degrading manner, e.g., 'quote whore', 'media whore'. The term pimp is also sometimes similarly used figuratively, as in poverty pimp, or as a word that means improve or fix. Quote whore or blurb whore is a clearly pejorative term used by some movie reviewers (for example, Roger Ebert and his tv partner Richard Roeper) to describe other critics who provide reviews well in advance of a movies release and whose reviews are uniformly positive. ... Poverty pimp is a derogatory label used to convey the accusation that an individual or group is benefiting unduly by acting as an intermediary on behalf of the poor. ...

Prostitutes are stigmatised in most societies and religions; their customers are typically stigmatised to a lesser degree. The sexual counterparts of prostitutes are known as clients in Quebec, Canada, johns in the United States and either clients or punters in the UK^{[citation needed]}, whilst in Sweden they are known as "Torskar", which means cod or loser^{[citation needed]}. In some places, men who drive around red-light districts for the purpose of soliciting prostitutes are also known as kerb crawlers. Young people interacting within an ethnically diverse society. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... the world is coming to the end!!!!! cod is going to eat up alive and do us hard up the emmm. ... Look up loser in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A red-light district is a neighborhood where prostitution is a common part of everyday life. ... Solicitation is a crime; it is an inchoate offense that consists of a person inciting, counseling, advising, urging, or commanding another to commit a crime with the specific intent that the person solicited commit the crime. ... A kerb crawler is a man who drives round areas known for street prostitution soliciting women for sex. ...

Definition

In street prostitution the prostitute solicits customers while waiting at street corners or "walking the street". Street prostitution is a common scenario for prostitution. ... Solicitation is a crime; it is an inchoate offense that consists of a person inciting, counseling, advising, urging, or commanding another to commit a crime with the specific intent that the person solicited commit the crime. ...

Brothels are establishments specifically dedicated to prostitution, often confined to special red-light districts in big cities. Other names for brothels include Bordello, Whorehouse and Cathouse. Prostitution also occurs in some massage parlours, and in Asian countries in some barber shops where sexual services may be offered for an additional tip. Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ... The De Wallen red-light district in Amsterdam A red-light district is a neighborhoooood where prostitution and other businesses in the sex industry flourish. ... Massage is the practice of applying structured or unstructured pressure, tension, motion, or vibration â€” manually or with mechanical aids â€” to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, joints, lymphatic vessels, organs of the gastrointestinal system and reproductive system to achieve a beneficial response. ... A boy visiting a barber A barber (from the Latin barba, beard) is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, give shaves, and trim beards. ...

In escort prostitution, the act takes place at the customer's place of residence or more commonly at his or her hotel room (currently referred to as "out-call"), or at the escort's place of residence or in a hotel room rented for the occasion by the escort (called "incall"). This form of prostitution often shelters under the umbrella of escort agencies, who ostensibly supply attractive escorts for social occasions. While escort agencies claim never to provide sexual services, very few successful escorts are available exclusively for social companionship. Even where this prostitution is legal, the euphemistic term "escort service" is common. (See call girl) In the US, escort agencies advertise frequently on the World Wide Web and example advertisements can be readily found on any major search engine and on open forum sites such as Craigslist. In the case of prostitutes using the internet to place ads, or prospective customers advertising for a prostitute, a long list of abbreviations and "code words" are used to describe how much a service may cost, or what specific act is being requested (see List of prostitution-related jargon terms). This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A call girl is a prostitute who is not visible to the general public, like a street walker, and who does not usually belong to an institution like a brothel. ... WWWs historical logo designed by Robert Cailliau The World Wide Web (or simply the Web) is a system of interlinked, hypertext documents that runs over the Internet. ... Craigslist is a centralized network of online urban communities, featuring free classified advertisements (with jobs, housing, personals, for sale/barter/wanted, services, community, gigs and resumes categories) and forums sorted by various topics. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Some escorts may work independently of an agency (indies). This is achieved by advertising the services on offer directly in newspapers, magazines or the internet. Communication with clients is usually made on a telephone and appointments are negotiated without any third party involvement. In some cases advertising may not be necessary if the prostitute sells her services only within a select group, such as a female university student prostituting herself to her male classmates out of economic necessity.^[2]

In sex tourism, travellers from rich countries travel to poorer countries such as Thailand in search of sexual services that may be unavailable in their own countries, or simply too expensive there. Other popular sex tourism destinations are Brazil, the Caribbean, and former eastern bloc countries. Sex tourism is travel (by men or women) to engage in sexual intercourse or sexual activity with prostitutes, and is typically undertaken internationally by tourists from wealthier countries whose payment for services may then be rendered either in cash or in kind. ... West Indian redirects here. ... A map of the Eastern Bloc. ...

The setting common in Russia and other countries of the former USSR takes the form of an open-air girl market. One prostitute stands by a roadside, and directs cars to a so-called "tochka" (usually located in alleyways or carparks), where lines of women are paraded for customers in front of their car headlights. The client selects a prostitute, whom he takes away in his car. This leaves the woman (often very young girls) particularly open to abuse. Prevalent in the late 1990s, this type of service has been steadily declining in the recent years.

A "lot lizard" is a commonly-encountered special case of street prostitution. Lot lizards mainly serve those in the trucking industry at truck stops and stopping centers. Prostitutes will often proposition truckers using a CB radio from a vehicle parked in the non-commercial section of a truck stop parking lot, communicating through codes based on commercial driving slang, then join the driver in his truck. "Recreational Reptile" see above. Early 70s Spanish Pegaso 2080 tractor and semi-trailer Semi-trailer truck with sleeper behind the cab. ... A truck stop is an eating establishment, usually located near a busy road, with a large parking area for trucks and other heavy vehicles. ... A trucker is a person who is employed as a truck driver (particularly of semi-trailers). ... Citizens band radio (CB) is, in the United States, a system of short distance radio communication between individuals on a selection of 40 channels within the single 27 MHz (11 meter) band. ...

Street prostitution

A stereotypical street-walker in Germany.

Main article: Street prostitution

In street prostitution, the prostitute solicits customers while waiting at street corners(sometimes called "the track" by pimps and prostitutes alike), usually dressed in skimpy clothing. Street prostitutes are often called "street walkers" while their customers are referred to as "tricks" . The sex is performed in the customer's car, in a nearby alley, or in a rented room (motels that service prostitutes commonly rent rooms by the half or full hour). Image File history File links Download high resolution version (546x930, 67 KB) prostituierte auf dem strassenstrich quelle : foto wurde mit genehmigung der dargestellten person selbst gemacht lizenz : public domain, gemeinfrei File links The following pages link to this file: Scientology ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (546x930, 67 KB) prostituierte auf dem strassenstrich quelle : foto wurde mit genehmigung der dargestellten person selbst gemacht lizenz : public domain, gemeinfrei File links The following pages link to this file: Scientology ... For the term used in its original printing sense, see etymology below. ... Street prostitution is a common scenario for prostitution. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

Escort/Out-call prostitution

Calling cards in a British phone box advertising the services of call girls

Main article: Call girl

Escort agencies typically advertise in regional publications and even telephone listings like the Yellow Pages. Many maintain websites with photo galleries of the employees. An interested client contacts an agency by telephone and offers a description of what kind of escort they are looking for. The agency will then suggest an employee who might fit that client's need. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 486 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Prostitution Call girl Telephone booth Calling card ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 486 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Prostitution Call girl Telephone booth Calling card ... Calling cards are often found in phone boxes in London advertising the services of call girls Calling Card may refer to various object of the same name: Historically, a calling card was used socially to signify a visit made to a house if the occupant were absent; or as an... A classic UK red telephone box. ... A call girl is a prostitute who is not visible to the general public, like a street walker, and who does not usually belong to an institution like a brothel. ... A call girl is a prostitute who is not visible to the general public, like a street walker, and who does not usually belong to an institution like a brothel. ... For the use in computing, see Yellow Pages (computing). ...

The agency collects the client's contact information and calls the escort. Usually, to protect the identity of the escort and ensure effective communication with the client, the agency arranges the appointment. Sometimes it may be up to the escort to contact the client directly to make arrangements for location and time of an appointment. If the agency does not supply transport to and from the client, the escort is also expected to call the agency upon arrival at the location and again upon leaving to assure his or her safe completion of the booking.

The purpose of these details is to attempt to protect the escort agency (to some degree) from prosecution for breaking the law. If the employee is solely responsible for arranging any illegal aspects of their professional encounter the agency could try to maintain plausible deniability should an arrest be made. However in practice, the use of undercover police evidence or the use of links to reviews of the agencies escorts usually results in this failing. Lady Justice or Justitia is a personification of the moral force that underlies the legal system (particularly in Western art). ... Plausible deniability also Deniability is the term given to the creation of loose and informal chains of command in government, which allow controversial instructions given by high-ranking officials to be denied if they become public. ... The Chicago Police Department arrests a man An arrest is the action of the police, or person acting under the law, to take a person into custody so that they may be forthcoming to answer for the commission of a crime. ...

Typically, an agency will charge their escorts either a flat fee for each client connection or a percentage of the prearranged rate. In San Francisco, it is usual for typical heterosexual-market agencies to negotiate for as little as $100, up to a full 50 percent of an escort's reported earnings (not counting any gratuity received). If they work independently doing either incalls or outcalls, prices can range from $200 to over $5,000 for more exclusive services. Most transactions occur in cash, and optional tipping of escorts by clients in most major US cities is customary but not compulsory. Credit card processing offered by larger scale agencies is often available for a service charge.

Independent escorts, also known as providers, have differing fees depending on many factors. For example; different seasons bring about different costs (and differing levels of demand), as do regular and semi-regular customers. Some may charge by the hour, half hour or even in 15 minute blocks. Time extensions (if offered or requested) are usually priced at the same rate as the original booking. Some escorts pay another individual to act as their personal security, thus providing a level of protection to themselves from violent or abusive clients.

An escort who works less often may be able to command a premium for his or her exclusivity. One who sees several clients each day may charge less, but earn more in the end. A female university student working as a prostitute might charge less for sexual intercourse with male classmates in her dorm room, and more for clients from off-campus.^[3] Independent escorts might see clients for extended meetings involving dinner or social activities, whereas escorts who work through agencies generally provide only sexual services. It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ...

Whilst the vast majority of escort agencies are sex related, there are some non-sexual escort agencies, where escorts provide companionship for business and social occasions.

Sex tourism

Main article: Sex tourism

Sex tourism is travelling for sexual intercourse with prostitutes or to engage in other sexual activity. The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary purpose of effecting a commercial sexual relationship by the tourist with residents at the destination".^[4] Sex tourism is travel (by men or women) to engage in sexual intercourse or sexual activity with prostitutes, and is typically undertaken internationally by tourists from wealthier countries whose payment for services may then be rendered either in cash or in kind. ... Sex tourism is travel (by men or women) to engage in sexual intercourse or sexual activity with prostitutes, and is typically undertaken internationally by tourists from wealthier countries whose payment for services may then be rendered either in cash or in kind. ... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ... World Tourism Organization Building in Madrid The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ...

Often the term "sex tourism" is mistakenly interchanged with the term "child sex tourism". A tourist who has sex with a child prostitute possibly commits a crime against international law, in addition to the host country, and the country that the tourist is a citizen of. The term "child" is often used as defined by international law and refers to any person below the age of consent. Prostitution of children refers to the use of children as prostitutes. ... Worldwide age of consent laws. ...

Socio-economic and legal status of prostitution

There is a superficial class divide between street walkers and high-end escorts. The services do tend to all be very similar. However, though locations may vary slightly, differences in price may be large. For example, a street-based sex worker who is paid $100 for sex may only take 30 seconds in the back seat of a client's car, however a brothel worker may have to do a full half-hour sex job for less.^{[verification needed]} This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The main difference in western countries between different forms of sex work is the legality. Street-based sex work is illegal in many countries. The enforcement of prostitution laws falls to police vice units. Another major factor is migration status. Illegal immigrants from fellow western countries can travel freely and work without attention from authorities. However migrants such as Asians, Eastern Europeans or citizens of countries in Latin America tend to be the focus of anti-trafficking attention and subject to being detained and deported. In Australia recent Senate inquiries have even heard about the un-investigated deportation of sex workers who may have actually been working legally in the sex industry. Although the motivation of many governmental and NGO efforts to end human trafficking in this way is sincere, some have levelled criticism at the amount of effort put in to ending the trafficking of women and children for sex when compared with the trafficking of people for non-sex labor, which is a far larger enterprise, touching on hundreds of different industries. A Vice Unit is a department in many police forces that investigates morality crimes. ... Illegal immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently, in violation of the law or without documents permitting an immigrant to settle in that country. ... The term Asian can refer to something or someone from Asia. ... Eastern Europe is, by convention, a region defined geographically as that part of Europe covering the eastern part of the continent. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ...

In addition to the first world, this also takes place in countries of Asia such as India and Thailand, where young girls are sometimes sold to brothel owners. In modern day Thailand and India this is becoming much rarer. World map showing the location of Asia. ...

Female prostitutes, especially street prostitutes, are commonly associated with a pimp, a man who lives off the proceeds of several prostitutes and may offer some protection in return. The relationship between pimp and prostitute is often abusive, and is a source of much violence against prostitutes. Pimping is one way in which powerless or impoverished young women are recruited into sex work; the pimp will provide financial and emotional support, acting as boyfriend/friend, but eventually ask the young woman to perform sex acts for money. In areas where legal restrictions on prostitution are lighter, the power of pimps over prostitutes normally decreases, as the prostitutes are able to seek the protection of the law against their abusers.

There are other commercial sexual activities that are generally not classified as prostitution. These include acting and modeling for pornographic materials, even if this involves engaging in sexual intercourse; exotic dancing, which is naked, sexually provocative acting (sometimes involving masturbation) without physical contact with the customer; lap dancing, where the dancer may come into contact with the customer in sexually provocative but strictly limited ways; and commercial telephone sex. Pornographic movies Pornography (Porn) (from Greek Ï€ÏŒÏÎ½Î· (porne) prostitute and Î³ÏÎ±Ï†Î® (grafe) writing), more informally referred to as porn or porno, is the explicit representation of the human body or sexual activity with the goal of sexual arousal. ... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ... For the book or movie Striptease see Striptease (book) and Striptease (movie) A striptease is a performance, usually a dance, in which the performer gradually removes their clothing for the purposes of sexually arousing the audience, usually performed in nightclubs. ... Mulher sentada de coxas abertas, 1916 drawing by Gustav Klimt Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation, particularly of ones own genitals and often to the point of orgasm, which is performed manually, by other types of bodily contact (except for sexual intercourse), by use of objects or tools, or by... For the book or movie Striptease see Striptease (book) and Striptease (movie) A striptease is a performance, usually a dance, in which the performer gradually removes their clothing for the purposes of sexually arousing the audience, usually performed in nightclubs. ...

In the case California v. Freeman, the California Supreme Court ruled that adult film makers could not be prosecuted under state laws against prostitution. Holding California pandering statute did not criminalize the hiring of actors for nonobscene adult films. ...

Legality of selling sex

Prostitutes working in their vans in Lyon, France. This form of prostitution is often referred to as 'BMC'.

At one end of the legal spectrum, prostitution carries the death penalty in some Muslim countries;^[5] at the other end, prostitutes are tax-paying and unionised professionals in the Netherlands and brothels are legal and advertising businesses there (however, prostitutes must be at least 18 and the age of consent is 16 in other contexts). The legal situation in Germany, Switzerland (where the issue of legal age is a source of avid dispute, some insisting that one can legally be a prostitute as of one's sixteenth birthday, other maintaining it is eighteen), and New Zealand is similar to that in the Netherlands (see prostitution in the Netherlands, prostitution in Germany and prostitution in New Zealand). In the Australian state of New South Wales, any person over the age of 18 may offer to provide sexual services in return for money. In Victoria, a person who wishes to run a prostitution business must have a licence. Prostitutes working for themselves in their own business, as prostitutes in the business, must be registered. Individual sex workers are not required to be registered or licensed. In some countries the legal status of prostitution may vary depending on the activity; in Japan, for example, vaginal prostitution is against the law while fellatio prostitution is legal, as women who perform fellatio for money are not considered prostitutes in Japan. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1412 KB) Summary Prostitutes working in their vans, in Lyon, France. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1412 KB) Summary Prostitutes working in their vans, in Lyon, France. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: (Franco-ProvenÃ§al: Forward, forward, Lyon the best) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region RhÃ´ne-Alpes Department RhÃ´ne (69) Subdivisions 9 arrondissements Intercommunality Urban Community of Lyon Mayor GÃ©rard Collomb (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ... A Muslim (Arabic: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…, Turkish: MÃ¼slÃ¼man, Persian and Urdu: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…Ø§Ù†, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... A Trade Union (Labour union) ... is a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment. ... Worldwide age of consent laws. ... Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands. ... A prostitute in Germany, 1999 Prostitution in Germany is legal and widespread. ... Currently prostitution and brothel keeping are legal in New Zealand, provided the prostitute is 18 or over. ... Capital Sydney Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Professor Marie Bashir Premier Morris Iemma (ALP) Federal representation - House seats 50 - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05) - Product ($m) $305,437 (1st) - Product per capita $45,153/person (4th) Population (End of March 2006) - Population 6,817,100 (1st) - Density 8. ... Capital Melbourne Government Const. ... Oral sex consists of all sexual activities that involve the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth, and possibly the throat, to stimulate genitalia. ...

In Turkey, street prostitution is illegal. Prostitution through government regulated brothels is legal. All brothels must have a license, and all sex workers working in brothels must be licensed as well. Municipality based "Commissions for the struggle against venereal diseases and prostitution" are in charge of issuing such licenses. Along with the reduction of perversity and sexual crimes in society, the Turkish brothel's main use is in times of invasion. Instead of having soldiers who are faced with dying for their country never having been in the company of a woman, the brothel allows the soldier to become "national" and boldly defend their country in time of need.

In the United Kingdom, prostitution is not formally illegal, but several activities surrounding it are outlawed. In England and Wales, the legal situation is:

for a prostitute to loiter or conduct solicitation in a street or public place is illegal, therefore outlawing street prostitution.
it is also illegal for a potential client to solicit persistently, or solicit from a motor vehicle ("kerb crawling").
owning or running a brothel is illegal.
child prostitution is specifically illegal for the person paying (where child is defined as younger than 18, although the age of consent is 16)
controlling prostitution for gain is an offence, banning pimping.

There has been long and widespread debate as to whether the a toleration of prostitution similar to that seen in the Netherlands and Germany should be extended. Local police forces have historically flipped between zero tolerance of prostitution and unofficial red light districts.

The Government announced on January 17, 2006, that in England and Wales it was considering allowing small brothels, whilst continuing the crackdown against kerb-crawling, which is seen as a nuisance. [1] A similar situation exists in Scotland, with prostitution itself not illegal but associated activities are. A Prostitution Tolerance Zones Bill was introduced into the Scottish Parliament but failed to become law. January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

In all but two U.S. states, the buying and selling of sexual services is illegal and usually classified as a misdemeanor. Regulated brothels are legal in several counties of Nevada (see prostitution in Nevada). In Rhode Island, the act of sex for money is not illegal, but street solicitation and operating a brothel are. Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties Libertarian Party State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... A misdemeanor, or misdemeanour, in many common law legal systems, is a lesser criminal act. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Nevada is unique among the U.S. states in that it allows some legal prostitution; in most of its counties, brothels are legalized and heavily regulated. ... Official language(s) English Capital Providence Largest city Providence Area Ranked 50th - Total 1,214* sq mi (3,144* kmÂ²) - Width 37 miles (60 km) - Length 48 miles (77 km) - % water 32. ...

In Canada, prostitution itself is legal, but most other activities around it are not. It is illegal to live "off the avails" of prostitution (this law is intended to outlaw pimping) and it is illegal (for both parties) to negotiate a sex-for-money deal in a public place (which includes bars). To maintain a veneer of legality, escort agencies arrange a meeting between the escort and the client. A Canadian Supreme Court ruling in 1978 required that to be convicted of soliciting, a prostitute's activities must be "pressing and persistent". Similarly, in Bulgaria prostitution itself is legal, but most activities around it (such as pimping) are outlawed.

Rules vary as to which roles in prostitution are illegal: being a prostitute, being a client, or being a pimp. In Sweden it is legal to sell sex, but it is illegal to be a pimp and since 1999 also to buy sexual services. The reason for this law is to protect prostitutes, as many of them have been forced into prostitution by someone or by economic necessity. Norway has the same laws as Sweden, except that it's not illegal to buy sex. Prostitutes are generally viewed by the government as oppressed, while their clients are viewed as oppressors. In the case of a prostitute under 18 in the Netherlands, being the client or pimp is illegal, but being the prostitute is not, except if the client is also underage (under 16). In most countries with criminalized prostitution, prostitutes are arrested and prosecuted at a far higher rate than their clients. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

In Brazil and Costa Rica prostitution per se is legal, but taking advantage or profit from others' prostitution is illegal.

Prostitution is legal for citizens in Denmark, but it is illegal to profit from prostitution. Prostitution is not regulated as in the Netherlands; instead, the government attempts through social services to bring people out of prostitution into other careers, and attempts to lessen the amount of criminal activity and other negative effects of prostitution.

In Thailand, prostitution is illegal as stated in the Prevention and Suppression Act, B.E. 2539 (1996) [2].

Establishments engaged in sexual slavery or owned by organized crime are the highest priority targets of law enforcement actions against prostitution. Police also frequently intervene when prompted by local resident complaints, often directed against street prostitution. In most countries where prostitution is illegal, at least some forms of it are tolerated. This ambiguous status allows the police to extort money or services, particularly information on criminal activities that prostitutes are often well-placed to obtain, from prostitutes in exchange for "looking the other way".

1941 Las Vegas hotel sign

Pimping is a sex crime in almost all jurisdictions. Some other countries retain the ill-defined offence of "living off the proceeds of others' prostitution", one of the prima facie evidences of which is co-habiting with a prostitute. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1286 KB) Summary Description: A sign asking prostitutes to find customers discreetly. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1286 KB) Summary Description: A sign asking prostitutes to find customers discreetly. ... This article is about the city of Las Vegas in Nevada. ... Sex crimes are forms of human sexual behavior that are crimes. ... Look up prima facie in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In 1949, the UN General Assembly adopted a convention stating that forced prostitution is incompatible with human dignity, requiring all signing parties to punish pimps and brothel owners and operators and to abolish all special treatment or registration of prostitutes. The convention was ratified by 89 countries but Germany, the Netherlands and the United States did not participate. United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. ... The Suppression of the traffic in persons and of the exploitation of the prostitution of others resolution declares that the enslavement of women and children subjected to prostitution is incompatible with the dignity and fundamental rights of the human person. ...

Some municipalities in the Netherlands would like a "zero tolerance policy" for brothels, i.e. not allow any, on moral grounds, but by law this is not possible. However, regulations, including restrictions in number and location are common. Whether a zero policy on urban planning grounds is allowed is still unclear. Urban planning is concerned with the ordering and design of settlements, from the smallest towns to the worlds largest cities. ...

Advertising prostitution

In countries where prostitution is legal, advertising it may be legal (as in the Netherlands) or illegal (as in Germany). In countries where prostitution is illegal, advertising it is usually also illegal.

Covert advertising for prostitution can take a number of forms:

by cards in newsagents' windows
by cards placed in public telephone enclosures: so-called tart cards
by euphemistic advertisements in regular magazines and newspapers (for instance, talking of "massages" or "relaxation")
in specialist contact magazines
via the World Wide Web
in public bathroom stalls (i.e. "for a good time call...")

In Las Vegas, Nevada, prostitution is often promoted overtly on The Las Vegas Strip by third party workers distributing risqué flyers with the pictures and phone numbers of prostitutes. Ironically, prostitution is illegal in Clark County^[6] (in which Las Vegas is located). So-called tart cards are cards found in phone booths in London, Hove and Brighton that advertise the services of prostitutes. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... WWWs historical logo designed by Robert Cailliau The World Wide Web (or simply the Web) is a system of interlinked, hypertext documents that runs over the Internet. ... A typical American bathroom A bathroom is a room that may have different functions depending on the cultural context. ... The south end of The Strip. ...

Regulated prostitution

Main article: Regulated prostitution

In some jurisdictions, such as Nevada (see prostitution in Nevada), Switzerland and in four Australian states or territories (Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory), prostitution is legal but heavily regulated. This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Nevada is unique among the U.S. states in that it allows some legal prostitution; in most of its counties, brothels are legalized and heavily regulated. ...

Such approaches are often, but not always taken with the stance that prostitution is impossible to eliminate and thus these societies have chosen to regulate it in ways that reduce the more undesirable consequences. Goals of such regulations include controlling sexually transmitted disease, reducing sexual slavery, controlling where brothels may operate and dissociating prostitution from crime syndicates. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) â€” also known as sexually transmissible diseases(STDs), venereal diseases (VD), or infrequently, social disease â€” are diseases or infections that have a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of sexual contact, vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex. ... Sexual slavery is a special case of slavery which includes various different practices: forced prostitution single-owner sexual slavery ritual slavery, sometimes associated with traditional religious practices slavery for primarily non-sexual purposes where sex is common or permissible In general, the nature of slavery means that the slave is...

The Dutch legalisation of prostitution has similar objectives, as well as improving health and working conditions for the women and weakening the link between prostitution and criminality.

Daily Planet is a brothel in Melbourne, Australia whose shares were listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2003, before listing difficulties - investors were asked to undergo police checks before buying shares - forced the listed company to divest the brothel back into private ownership (the company remained listed and continues its other business interests). There are various regulatory regimes governing prostitution in Australia and a level of increasing professionalism is being seen in the industry with the establishment of business associations like the Queensland Adult Business Association [3] that ascribe to a strict ethical code which entrenches the independence of service providers. Daily Planet is a property trust which briefly made headlines on its initial public offering in 2003. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... For other uses, see Stock (disambiguation). ... The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) is the primary stock exchange in Australia. ...

Prostitution of children

Main article: prostitution of children

Regarding the prostitution of children the laws on prostitution as well as those on sex with a child apply. If prostitution in general is legal there is usually a minimum age requirement for legal prostitution that is higher than the general age of consent (see above for some examples). Although some countries do not single out patronage of child prostitution as a separate crime, same act is punishable as sex with an underage. Prostitution of children refers to the use of children as prostitutes. ... Prostitution of children refers to the use of children as prostitutes. ... Worldwide age of consent laws. ...

Some pedophiles use sex tourism to have access to sex with children that is unavailable in their home country. Cambodia has become a notorious destination for these pedophiles.^{[citation needed]} Several western countries have recently enacted laws with extraterritorial reach punishing citizens who engage in sex with minors in other countries. These laws are rarely enforced since the crime usually goes undiscovered. [4] [5] [6] Pedophilia, paedophilia or pÃ¦dophilia (see spelling differences) is the paraphilia of being sexually attracted primarily or exclusively to prepubescent or peripubescent children. ...

Prostitution and illegal immigration

A difficulty in many developed countries is the situation where persons immigrate illegally and work as Prostitutes. These people face deportation, and so do not have recourse to the law. Hence there are brothels that may not adhere to the usual legal standards intended to safeguard public health and the safety of the workers.

Violence against prostitutes

Prostitutes are at risk of violent crime [7], as well as possibly at higher risk of occupational mortality than any other group of women ever studied. For example, the homicide rate for female prostitutes was estimated to be 204 per 100,000 (Potterat et al, 2004), which is some times higher than that for the next riskiest occupations in the United States during a similar period (4 per 100,000 for female liquor store workers and 29 per 100,000 for male taxicab drivers) (Castillo et al., 1994). However, there are substantial differences in rates of victimization between street prostitutes and indoor prostitutes who work as escorts, call girls, or in brothels and massage parlors (Weitzer 2000, 2005). Perpetrators include violent clients, pimps, and corrupt law-enforcement officers. Prostitutes (particularly those engaging in street prostitution) are also sometimes the targets of serial killers, who may consider them easy targets, or use the religious and social stigma associated with prostitutes as justification for their murder. Being criminals in most jurisdictions, prostitutes are less likely than the law-abiding to be looked for by police if they disappear, making them favored targets of predators. The unidentified serial killer (or killers) known as Jack the Ripper is said to have killed at least five prostitutes in London in 1888. More recently, Robert Pickton, a Canadian who lived near Vancouver, made headlines after DNA supposedly matching that of several missing prostitutes was found buried on his farm. He now stands charged with the murder of 26 Vancouver area women, and is suspected by police of killing at least four more (though no charges have been laid). As of December 2006, a serial killer of prostitutes appears to be active in Ipswich, England (see 2006 Ipswich murder investigation). A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens violent force upon the victim. ... Street prostitution is a common scenario for prostitution. ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ... Jack the Ripper is the pseudonym given to an unidentified serial killer active in the largely impoverished Whitechapel area of London, England in the second half of 1888. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Robert William (Willie) Pickton (b. ... Timber framed buildings in St Nicholas Street The Ancient House is decorated with a particularly fine example of pargeting Ipswich (pronounced ) is the county town of Suffolk and a non-metropolitan district in East Anglia, England on the estuary of the River Orwell. ... The bodies of victims were found at various locations around Ipswich. ...

Human (or sex) trafficking

Main article: Trafficking in human beings

Human trafficking is the fastest growing form of modern day slavery [8] and is the third largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world [9]. A poster from the Canadian Department of Justice Trafficking in human beings is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons for the purpose of exploitation. ...

Poverty, social exclusion and war are at the heart of human trafficking. Many women are hoodwinked into believing promises of a better life, sometimes by people who are known and trusted to them. Traffickers may own legitimate travel agencies, modeling agencies and employment offices in order to gain women's trust. Others are simply kidnapped. Once overseas it is common for their passport to be confiscated by the trafficker and to be warned of the consequences should they attempt to escape, including beatings, rape, threats of violence against their family and death threats. It is common, particularly in Eastern Europe, that should they manage to return to their families they will only be trafficked once again.

The men who will pay to have sex with foreign women and underage girls create the market which the traffickers supply. The demand for cheap unskilled labour creates another market for traffickers.

Due to the illegal and underground nature of sex trafficking, the exact extent of women and children forced into prostitution is unknown. The International Labour Organization in 2005 estimated at least 2.4 million people have been trafficked [10].

Thousands of children are sold into the global sex trade every year. Often they are kidnapped or orphaned, and sometimes they are actually sold by their own families. According to the International Labour Organization, the problem is especially alarming in Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal and India. [11]

In May 2005 the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings opened for signature. Since then over 30 countries have signed the Convention and four countries have ratified it. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has produced a Toolkit to Combat Trafficking in Persons [12]

Globally, forced labour generates $31bn, half of it in the industrialised world, a tenth in transition countries, the International Labour Organization says in a report on forced labour ("A global alliance against forced labour", ILO, 11 May 2005). Trafficking in people has been facilitated by porous borders and advanced communication technologies, it has become increasingly transnational in scope and highly lucrative within its barbarity. The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations to deal with labour issues. ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (132nd in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In many countries counselling, accommodation, specialist care exists for trafficked people to help them escape [13]

Medical situation

Prostitution has often been associated with the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as HIV. However, this is disputed by empirical data. Although prostitutes are not regularly studied as a group by the CDC or other recognized institutions, what little has been done on the subject suggests that female prostitutes have either HIV rates similar to the population or lower. Nevertheless, intravenous drug using prostitutes carry very high rates of HIV relative to the population. Studies on non-intravenous drug using prostitutes are scarce to non-existent. Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), also known as sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), are diseases that are commonly transmitted between partners through some form of sexual activity, most commonly vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex. ... Species Human immunodeficiency virus 1 Human immunodeficiency virus 2 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. ...

Typical responses to the problem are:

banning prostitution completely
introducing a system of registration for prostitutes that mandates health checks and other public health measures
educating prostitutes and their clients to encourage the use of barrier contraception and greater interaction with health care

Some think that the first two measures are counter-productive. Banning prostitution tends to drive it underground, making treatment and monitoring more difficult. Registering prostitutes makes the state complicit in prostitution and does not address the health risks of unregistered prostitutes. Both of the last two measures can be viewed as harm reduction policies. Harm reduction is a philosophy of public health, intended to be a progressive alternative to the prohibition of certain lifestyle choices. ...

In Australia where sex-work is largely legal, and registration of sex-work is not practiced, education campaigns have been extremely successful and the non-intravenous drug user (non-IDU) sex workers are among the lower HIV-risk communities in the nation. In part, this is probably due both to the legality of sex-work, and to the heavy general emphasis on education in regard to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). Safer sex is heavily promoted as the major means of STI reduction in Australia, and sex education generally is at a high level. Sex-worker organisations regularly visit brothels and home workers, providing free condoms and lubricant, health information, and other forms of support.

The encouragement of safer sex practices, combined with regular testing for sexually transmitted diseases, has been very successful when applied consistently. Prostitution appears to have little effect as a vector of STDs when safer sex practices are applied consistently. However, in countries and areas where safer sex precautions are either unavailable or not practiced for cultural reasons, prostitution appears to be a very active disease vector for all STDs, including HIV/AIDS. Safe sex (also called safer sex) is a term describing practices designed to reduce the risk of sustaining or imparting sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) (also known as sexually-transmitted diseases or STDs in the US). ... Species Human immunodeficiency virus 1 Human immunodeficiency virus 2 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. ...

Occurrence

According to the paper "Estimating the prevalence and career longevity of prostitute women" (Potterat et al., 1990), the number of full-time equivalent prostitutes in a typical area in the United States (Colorado Springs, CO, during 1970–1988) is estimated at 23 per 100,000 population (0.023%), of which fraction some 4% were under 18. The length of these prostitutes' working careers was estimated at a mean of 5 years. A follow-up paper entitled "Prostitution and the sex discrepancy in reported number of sexual partners" (Brewer et al., 2000) goes on to estimate a mean number of 868 male sexual partners per prostitute per year of active sex work, and offers the conclusion that men's self-reporting of prostitutes as sexual partners is seriously under-reported.

A 1994 study found that 16 percent of 18 to 59-year-old men in a U.S. survey group had paid for sex (Gagnon, Laumann, and Kolata 1994).

A number of reports over the last few decades have suggested that prostitution levels have fallen in sexually liberal countries, perhaps because of the increased availability of non-commercial non-marital sex.[14]

Politics

Legal issues

Roughly speaking, the possible attitudes are:

abolition: "prostitution should be made to disappear"
- "prostitution is immoral and prostitutes and their clients should be prosecuted": the prevailing attitude in much of the United States with a few exceptions like Nevada.
- "prostitution is a sad reality of exploitation of the prostitutes, especially women, but prostitutes should not be criminalized", the current situation in Turkey.
  - "the clients of prostitutes exploit the prostitutes": prostitutes are not prosecuted, but their clients and pimps are, which is the current situation in Sweden.
  - prostitution is legal, but discouraged, while pimping is prohibited, the current situation in the United Kingdom and France among others;
regulation: prostitution may be considered a legitimate business; prostitution and the employment of prostitutes are legal, but regulated (with respect to health etc. concerns); the current situation in the Netherlands, Germany and parts of Nevada.
legalization: "prostitution is a victimless crime, and should be made completely legal so that it is no longer an underground activity, allowing the normal checks and balances of society and existing laws to apply"
decriminalization: "prostitution is labor like any other. Sex industry premises should not be subject to any special regulation or laws" such as in Australia and New Zealand. Proponents of this view often cite instances of government regulation under legalization that they consider intrusive, demeaning, or violent, but feel that criminalization adversely affects sex workers.

In some countries, there is controversy regarding the laws applicable to sex work. For instance, the legal stance of punishing pimping while keeping sex work legal but "underground" and risky is often denounced as hypocritical; opponents suggest either going the full abolition route and criminalize clients or making sex work a regulated business. Abolition is the act of formally destroying something through legal means, either by making it illegal, or simply no longer allowing it to exist in any form. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Legalization is the process of removing a legal prohibition against something which is currently illegal. ... In criminology public order crime is defined by Siegel (2004) as ...crime which involves acts that interfere with the operations of society and the ability of people to function efficiently, i. ... Decriminalization is the reduction or abolition of criminal penalties in relation to certain acts. ...

Many countries have sex worker advocacy groups which lobby against criminalization and discrimination of prostitutes. These groups generally oppose Nevada-style regulation and oversight, stating that prostitution should be treated like other professions. In the United States of America, one such group is COYOTE (an abbreviation for "Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics") and another is the North American Task Force on Prostitution[15]. In Australia the lead sex worker rights organisation is Scarlet Alliance, [16]. International prostitutes' rights organizations include the International Committee for Prostitute's Rights [17] and the Network of Sex Work Projects [18]. Binomial name Canis latrans Say, 1823 Coyote range The coyote (Canis latrans, meaning barking dog) also prairie wolf [2]) is a member of the Canidae (dog) family and a close relative of the domestic dog. ...

Other groups, often with religious backgrounds, focus on offering women a way out of the world of prostitution while not taking a position on the legal question.

Contents