There is very little that the United States government likes more than trying to tell uterus owners what they can and cannot do with their bodies. From reproductive rights to freeing the “female-presenting” nipple, the government and those who help run it will try to make decisions on behalf of the people living in the nation, regardless of what is best for their health. A debate that has been going on for as long as it has been outlawed, is prostitution.
As an issue, the outlawing of sex work is hardly different than any other law put in place by the government relating to people’s autonomy, regardless of whether it actually harms those involved or not is not a concern by the government. In fact, the outlawing of sex work does not stop people from becoming sex workers, or at least not in great quantities. All it does is ensure that those people who turn to sex work as a way of making ends meet are less safe in their line of work.
With having sex for money being illegal, sex workers are not required to get tested for STDs, do not have the choice to screen their partners for STDs and might not have access to treatment if they were to get an STD. If the government regulated the sex work industry, not only would the health of the worker be better, but the customer’s risk of getting an STD would also decrease. Legal sex work would open up possible jobs and would inevitably be taxed, which sends money back into the government and stimulates the economy. “Pimps,” or the people, usually men, that are in charge of keeping track of the sex workers and finding them jobs, also hold a dangerous position of power over the workers. If they are violent and the worker does not perform as anticipated, it would be easy for the “pimp” to hurt them, or worse. Again, it is important to remember that making sex work illegal only stops safe sex work. Sex workers will do what they have to regardless of the law when their lives, homes or families are on the line.
In many horror or thriller films, the first bodies that turn up from a serial killer are those of sex workers, usually females. This introduces that the killer hates women, but it also gives a low-stakes death to make law enforcement accept that this is a serial killer. Usually, the stakes are not higher until a non-sex working woman is killed. This is, unfortunately, not fiction, as often times the police will not investigate crimes against sex workers as seriously as they would other women, according to Rolling Stone. They are viewed as less than human by many investigators simply based on their line of work. If there was an institution in place for sex work, then the police would be forced to take it more seriously.
In the United States, except for Nevada, sex workers are punished for making money off of sex, as do the customers for hiring them. However, in most states, the punishment between the two are almost equal, according to ProCon.org. The person that is trying to make a living is getting as harshly punished as the person who chose to pay for someone to have intercourse with them. One person is trying to be entertained, while the other is potentially trying to pay rent, but they are seen as equally guilty in the eyes of the law.
The sex work laws in most of the U.S. are helping no one. Sex workers are still getting sick, being raped, murdered, disrespected and punished for using their bodies as they see fit. The government needs to stop telling people what they can and cannot do with their bodies, especially since this affects no one but themselves and the person they are being paid by.
