Prostitution: Yes or No?

In recent years, Catalonia has removed the moral stigma from the law and has chosen to legalize prostitution, an activity that many consider to be the world’s oldest profession.

On the other hand, this fact has clashed with various conflicting arguments regarding the role of women in society and their dignity.

Doesn’t such an attitude imply moral guardianship on the part of the public? Should society restrict women’s freedom to engage in commerce or perform sexual work with their bodies?

There are even those who argue that legalizing prostitution as an activity like any other would amount to endorsing a model of female subjugation.

Examining the arguments surrounding this issue, which continues to divide society in terms of opinion, can help clarify people’s positions.

Is providing sexual services a job like any other?

Against: Given that human rights are inalienable, not even the individual himself can waive them in the name of his profession, not even for a few hours or minutes.

That said, prostitution cannot be considered a job, insofar as the client pays for absolute control over the woman’s body. Furthermore, if prostitution were considered a job, would it be possible to allow people to begin working in that field at age 14 or 16, as is the case with other jobs?

In favor: A person who engages in prostitution offers services that involve a part of their body, just like many other jobs (construction workers, nurses, doctors, miners, cleaning staff). It makes no sense that some are allowed to do certain jobs while others are prohibited from them simply because of which part of their body is required to perform the work.

Legalizing prostitution does not mean letting people do as they please; it means regulating where it can and cannot be practiced, under what hygienic conditions, and ensuring safety and legality for all those who depend on this work and pay taxes—just as has been done with alcohol, gambling, pharmacies, etc.

But the most shocking thing of all is to judge a person’s dignity based on how much sex they have, whether they’re getting paid for it or not.

As in all professions, there must be legislation establishing rights and responsibilities; if we continue as we have been, we leave unprotected those who, of their own free will, wish to engage in prostitution as a permanent or temporary means of livelihood.

Prostitution allows some people to make a lot of money……

Cons: Prostitution is a lucrative business, especially for pimps. According to Interpol, they earn 110,000 euros a year for each woman forced into prostitution.

The vast majority of women engaged in prostitution barely scrape by on the income from this activity.

They are exploited through grueling workdays. If this were not the case, how could it be that the vast majority are unable to own their own homes, as is usually the case among the middle class?

Accepting the economic argument for prostitution is degrading to women, as it implies that women cannot earn more money in any other way.

In favor: Unless we’re talking about a situation of exploitation—in which case the authorities should prevent it—no law requires anyone to engage in a sexual act; they and their clients voluntarily agree to an exchange of interests. Why prohibit it?

It is true that prostitution has raised children, supported siblings and parents, paid for homes, repaid loans, shown compassion to those marginalized by society, and so on…

In any case, when it comes to an activity that is viewed solely as an evil to be overcome, it is difficult to obtain exact figures and a clear picture of the situation, since everyone manipulates the data to suit their own narrative. But if money is the problem, we might as well ban large multinational corporations, banks, or large landowners who earn much more—especially from the sale of basic necessities.

Does anyone have the right to tell me how to use my body?

Against: The state influences our behavior in certain activities that are dangerous to both the individual and society. A clear example of this is smoking, as well as other areas such as road safety and sports. No government would tolerate an association of people dedicated to harming themselves, and prostitution is not a healthy activity for the individual; it has been proven to spread diseases, some of which are fatal.

In favor: The care and use of one’s own body is the exclusive responsibility of the person to whom it belongs. Neither the government nor private individuals have any business determining how we treat our own bodies. The government has no business forcing us to be fatter, thinner, or to participate in sports or not… if anything, it should ensure that physical activities, etc., are carried out under healthy conditions—something that can also be achieved through prostitution.

Once again, sexuality frightens and unsettles those who view it as something sacred or as a subliminal trap, rather than as simply another aspect of being human—one with distinct and perfectly honorable characteristics, no matter how diverse they may be. Its only limit is that one’s desire must coincide with that of another.

Is Prostitution a Social Service?

Against: Sexuality is an aspect of the human condition that is intimately linked to a person’s identity and cannot be reduced solely to genital activity, which, moreover, not everyone engages in, nor at every age.

Thus, we can say that a fulfilling sex life cannot be reduced solely to genitality.

On the other hand, viewing prostitution as a social service implies accepting that some women should—even if they do not want to—be sacrificed to satisfy the needs of lonely and frustrated men, whose profile does not match that of the typical client of prostitution, which is predominantly made up of men who are in relationships or married.

In favor: Prostitution helps alleviate the basic needs of many people—both those in relationships and those who are single—who have sexual needs; if it weren’t for prostitution, the sex lives of many people simply wouldn’t exist.

Sexuality is intrinsically tied to genitality, and depending on hormone levels and other factors, our bodies remind us of this area with varying degrees of insistence. Of course, we can embellish it with spirituality, flowers, and candles, but failing to distinguish between sexual desire and emotions is the mark of fools or the pious.

-A couple’s relationship is only truly solid when love and passion go hand in hand; otherwise, it’s just sex.

– Over the years, couples who stay together do so not so much because of passion, but because of the bond that love creates.

– That is why prostitution does not offer love, but rather that element of passion or physical intimacy that is lacking in many relationships or in people who do not have a partner.

– As with any job, the government does not force anyone to be something they do not want to be, nor does it provide services beyond basic ones.

The welfare state always refers to the balance between basic human needs and the fulfillment of those needs in terms of one’s psychological or economic well-being.

It will never disappear, even if they ban it?

Against: Regardless of expectations or outcomes, combating evil in society is an obligation, and fighting prostitution offers a glimpse of a better future for the women who are exploited in particular and for society as a whole.

In favor: All kinds of political regimes have persecuted and punished prostitution—the world’s oldest profession—over the centuries, and today it is practically impossible to find any part of the world where this activity does not exist.

You can’t put up barriers in the countryside and continue to deny that the responsibility of democratic states is not to act as parents or to look the other way, when the situation has already reached a breaking point, but rather to organize and regulate everything that reality shows to be natural and not harmful to human beings, regardless of beliefs, especially since we are a secular state.

It’s another matter entirely to refuse to get involved in these controversies and to give in to pressure groups that are as incompatible as oil and water but which, when it comes to prostitution, unite around shared fears and imaginary monsters in order to continue marginalizing prostitution.

We’re at the turn of the century, and people increasingly need to be less micromanaged and more listened to; we need to see ourselves reflected in the needs that experts say we have. Stories about wolves and Little Red Riding Hood just don’t work anymore.

Does prostitution prevent rape?

Against: Prostitution not only degrades women but also debases the men who resort to it, as it perpetuates a sexist model in which women comply submissively—and sometimes because they have no alternative. To think that a man becomes violent if he does not have the opportunity to let off steam reflects a very poor view of himself and his own ability to control his impulses.

In favor: Ongoing sexual frustration can lead to tense situations, whether one is in a relationship or not; prostitution allows these passions to be channeled in a civilized manner. It is also true that the reasons why rapes are committed have little to do with the need for sex nowadays, but rather with psychological issues; therefore, realistically speaking, prostitution does not prevent these types of crimes.

Labeling men who use prostitution as rapists or sexists, and the women who practice it as poor, submissive beings, is a clear sign of failing to understand the importance of sexuality in human beings—whether male or female—which, moreover, bears no resemblance to that of animals, where mating season is the starting gun, and that’s it—until next year.

A person’s self-concept is shaped not only by their sexuality but also by their entire personality, their relationship with everything around them, and the ups and downs of their life; and if you want to give advice, you have to look at your own situation first.

Legalize prostitution to end sexual exploitation?

Against: Sex workers will not feel proud of their profession even if their work is legalized; furthermore, the basic health and education services provided by society are guaranteed to every citizen, regardless of their occupation. Even sex workers have access to free, specialized services designed to reduce the health risks to which they are exposed.

Legalizing prostitution would increase its prevalence—both clandestine and legal—since many of those who currently view it as “dishonorable” would begin to look upon it more favorably as its “moral status” rises.

In favor: It would be much easier to uncover and report abuses if the government had legal oversight of prostitution, just as it does for any other job, For example, it would prevent minors from engaging in these activities, prevent the exploitation of women, and guarantee access to basic health services, since sex workers also suffer from illnesses other than sexually transmitted diseases.

It seems as if being fair and good means punishing such a large group by making them face the wall, where judgments are made based on stereotypes.

No one decides to become a prostitute just because they’re bored; people who are cast aside by society, their families, and the state cling to whatever they can—just as we all do when faced with extreme situations. What saves many is their bank account, their family, the state, and in many cases: a miracle. Perhaps being a prostitute means being a forgotten woman who fights against her own fate and/or that of her loved ones. This is not a sin—it’s a danger! How can a blind, sanctimonious society expect desperate women to compromise on everything for a pittance?

Of course, there is a sexist undertone to all of this, and it comes from the women and men who define women based on their sexuality or on whether or not they are paid. For sex workers, this cruel concept labels them as promiscuous or exploited, stigmatizes them, and results in them suffering not only because of their freely chosen work but also because of the marginalization to which these people and beliefs subject them.

Prostitution generates wealth:

On the other hand: Any immoral or criminal activity generates business and wealth around it. In the ports of underdeveloped countries, where girls and boys under the age of 14 are sexually exploited, all kinds of illicit industries thrive. These types of activities are also responsible for holding societies back, since if the people involved in this business were to devote all their time and ingenuity to other types of work, they would be held in higher regard by society.

In favor: Prostitution generates wealth for everyone involved: service staff, restaurants, hotels, businesses, etc., all benefit directly or indirectly from the economic activity generated by prostitution. To continue labeling this activity as immoral or criminal—while having all the mechanisms in place to regulate it—is to continue condemning sex workers to abuse at the hands of unscrupulous individuals, who thrive only in environments where regulations and oversight are conspicuously absent.

It’s relatively easy to fill a speech with predictions, advice, or moral guidelines for those who have the means, but the hard part is accepting and respecting the decisions others make in situations that cannot wait for bureaucratic processes—even if we believe those decisions are wrong—without attacking, reproaching, or stigmatizing them, as is often done with prostitution. The best approach would be to help ensure that their time in prostitution is brief or, at the very least, bearable.