Sex Workers Rights and Agaist Human Trafficking

There are many misconception about sex workers in the world. Yes, there are many who are forced into selling their sexual self for the financial benefit of others, there is a horrible problem in most parts of the world in human sex trafficking. But most studies say these are but a very very small percentage of the total number of sex workers in the world.

Prior to the "temperance" movement that brought our now famous prohibition of alcoholic beverages period in the US, prostitution was legal and accepted as a service in society, even though most women in America were disapproving of the women. Thus they also forced states to outlaw prostitution at the same time. Both of these were based on more religious attitudes at the time than any issue of such importance that both needed to be make illegal.

Yes, many a man and worker hit the pub before coming home and had too many drinks. But that did not need a constitutional amendment prohibiting the drink. Education, rehab and other social help, as we do today, would have reduced the over consumption of the drug of choice.

Prostitution was also more of a social issue that didn't need government to prohibit, but to deal with the health issues of that day. Yes, at that period of time, especially there was little treatment for STDs, men at times would bring the STD home to the wife. But healthcare and education has advanced tremendously to reduce this issue. There have been some journals and diaries from the 18th and 19th centuries in the US that indicate many wives liked having the bordello in town because their husbands could get their rocks off and the wives did not have to service their husbands sexual needs and risk getting pregnant again. It was a form of family planning for centuries past.

One classic example in the 20th century was in the 1970s in a small mining town in northern Idaho that had two bordellos that were well known by the towns citizens, which numbers about 1,000. It was typical that the miners would hit the bordello after their shift, have a few drinks and get their rocks off, then go home nice and clean and calm after being down in the deep earth. The state elected a new Republican Attorney General and he knew of these bordellos so he sent state troopers in to close down these houses. The wives of the miners marched on the state capital in Boise protesting that they closed these bordellos and they should be allowed to reopen. Why? They hate what their husbands have become; dirty and sweaty when they come home, wanting to have sex all the time and hanging around the only other bar in town until late. At least the ladies in the bordellos made sure the men got home in time for supper and to be with the family.

Yes, many sex workers who are addicted to drugs and work mainly the streets to feed their addiction and are more likely to have a serious STD or even HIV/AIDS. But again, in the totality of all the sex workers in the world, they make up less than one percent.

Many sex worker, be it a prostitute/escort, porn star, stripper, massage therapist or whatever, do so because they actually like it. Yes, some women, probably more than you would think, enjoy meeting strangers and their regulars, feeling the excitement leading up to the encounter and yes even the sex act itself. Many actually have incredible orgasms. And they are very careful who they meet, use safer sex practices, get regular health checks and tests, have learned how to look for indications that a person may have certain types of SDI and therefore will say goodby and not complete the transaction. They are what you might call a true courtesan.

There are many who go into the sex worker trade for purely financial reasons. They can usually make a hell of a lot more money in less amount of time, thus having greater freedom of time to do what they want, including frequent travel. The smart ones invest their money in savings that will afford them a comfortable life once they are beyond their prime earnings and can retire. Why do we prohibit them from being able to earn such great sums and enjoy life, if that is what they choose?

Why not take it out of the underground and bring it in par with all workers? This would afford them the ability to have safe working conditions, affordable health insurance, and other benefits that other workers receive. More of them would pay taxes on their income to have Social Security and Medicare when they retire.

From a public health standpoint, requiring frequent health screenings, much the same as food handlers are required to do, and having the results posted with the local health authority and possibly online for potential clients to view would help reduce the risk and spread of STDs. By prohibiting sex workers, there is no process to monitor any potential rampant spread of these STDs until they receive the reports from medical facilities of how many cases were reported that month, then it become more complicated and costly to find individuals who are in need of treatment. This added cost is paid by tax dollars, so it is a bigger financial cost to society than the moral issue that many moralists give for reason to prohibit an individual from using sex as an income stream.

Now the sex slavery that is rampant in many 3rd and developing worlds is a major assault on women and even young girls. That is an issue that all nations need to address and work diligently to eliminate. If more resources were devoted to this issue rather than the many escorts who post on craigslist or other websites or who work in illegal bordellos in New Orleans and other cities and setting up stings to catch these individuals, the world could make an impact on this horrible problem. Just saying...