In the words of Augustine of Hippo “If you expel prostitution from society, you will unsettle everything on account of lust”. In today’s society prostitution is considered to be one of the world’s oldest professions. So why is it outlawed in the majority of states throughout our nation? Does solicitation of sex for financial gain create other ideas and hideous crimes such as human trafficking or is it just human nature? According to a large number of people and legislators, prostitution is unethical and unfit to be practiced in the United States. Within this paper I will discuss: What defines a prostitute, the history of prostitution, share some statistics and laws against prostitution, and some solutions that have been demonstrated to crackdown on the offenses of prostitution. At the end of this paper I will provide a conclusion and my thoughts on the cause and effects of prostitution.
According to research, prostitution is defined as a person who receives money or some kind of payment for sexual intercourse or other sexual acts. Prostitutes are generally referred to women that offer themselves to men for a price. Men can also be prostitutes and perform sexual acts to gain payment from both males and females.
In earlier societies prostitution was accepted and thought to be a social norm. It is believed that the Sumerians along with other ancient civilizations practiced sacred prostitution. Sacred prostitution was considered as a rite to passage for younger women. These women would sexually service foreigners for a symbolic price as a sign of hospitality. In ancient Israel prostitution was accepted, despite it being forbidden by Jewish Law. According to the Bible, a prostitute in Jericho named Rahab helped Israelite spies with her knowledge of sociocultural and military situation due to the high-ranking nobles she serviced. The information she provided to the spies lead to Israel being invaded. In ancient Rome prostitution became a part of the...