Prostitution

From ArticleWorld

Prostitution is the practice of earning money by engaging in a sex act with another person who then pays for the act. A variety of practices fall under the umbrella of the term, prostitution. While prostitution is a forbidden practice in most religions and is illegal in many societies, it is a flourishing practice that likely dates from prehistory. Estimates in the US indicate an incidence of prostitutes as 23 in 100,000 among the general population and up to an incidence of 4% in those under the age of 18 years.

History

Believe it or not, species other than humans are known to engage in prostitution. Chimpanzees have been seen engaging in sex in order to obtain a particular item. In human history, prostitution has been practiced in Sumerian cultures, Phoenician cultures and in all cultures since that time. Prostitution in history ranged from being a part of the slave trade to being moderately tolerated and in some cases, was used as a sign of hospitality toward a stranger. Historically, prostitution in the Middle Ages was primarily an urban issue and while it was forbidden by the Christian Church, it was tolerated as a means to prevent occurrences of rape and sodomy.

Types of Prostitution

There are a variety of practices considered to be part of prostitution:

• Street prostitution involves a single prostitute soliciting customers literally while working on the street. The actual sex act is usually done in a car or in a motel room.
• Massage parlors, especially in Asian cultures, are a vehicle for prostitution.
• Brothels are establishments that are solely for the purposes of several women to solicit prostitution.
• Escort services involve a customer calling a number and arranging to meet an escort that may provide companionship or sex to the customer. Sometimes this kind of prostitute is called a “call girl”.
• In Russia, especially, open-air markets exist where prostitutes are paraded before potential customers, who drive by in order to pick a woman out.
• Prostitution also exists in which parking lots full of truckers are solicited for sex.
• Regulated prostitution occurs in some parts of Europe, in Australia and in Nevada, with the idea being that regulated prostitution is safer and more protective against sexually-transmitted diseases.
• Homosexual prostitution involves a male soliciting for and having sex with another male. This can also involve men dressing as women (transvestites), who then sell their bodies for sex.
• Male prostitutes are those males who sell themselves to women as companions or for the performance of a sex act.
• Child prostitution involves the use of children who are enslaved or who were born into prostitution in order to provide sexual services to pedophiles.
• Human trafficking involves the kidnapping and enslaving of primarily women and girls who are then used as prostitutes against their will.

Prostitution is a service that will likely always be a part of every culture despite legal, moral and religious prohibition against it. While some forms of prostitution are generally safe, the risk of prostitutes being a vehicle for the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases is high. Those who choose to become prostitutes, those forced into prostitution and those they service are undoubtedly exchanging the sexual act for the risk of contracting a disease from that act. It is up to each individual engaging in this practice to decide what price is worth the risk.