Prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is commonly referred to as “the oldest profession” and has been
ubiquitous from the times of the epic tale of Gilgamesh and the Old Testament to today’s “red
light” districts. It has gone from being praised, to being tolerated, prosecuted, or ignored. The
Florida Statute Of 1994 interprets prostitution as any relationship involving sexual activity
with monetary benefits, excluding romantic relationships. Despite being illegalized in older
generations, based on morality and ethical arguments, prostitution is still a controversial topic
in contemporary society today. The primary ethical issue surrounding the profession of
prostitution is whether or not the sale of sex, which is intended to be personal and intimate,
should be permitted and ethically acceptable within society if used to pay for the necessities
of survival. The debate on prostitution is two sides in that some argue that prostitution ought
to uphold its prohibition status if it is merely a means of profit and a way to maintain oneself
in everyday life. In contrast, others completely condemn selling the human body to others for
pleasure. After careful research, I have realized that sex work is ethical and should be
legalized, as it is in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and parts of Mexico, and even Nevada.
The first reason why sex work should be legalized stems from the certain motivations
customers have for choosing to pay for prostitution (Weitzer, 2009). These motivations
