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Protecting and Profiting from Prostitutes:

Health, Safety, Economic, and Morality Considerations to Legalizing Prostitution

Tyler Dolan

English 138T: Rhetoric and Civic Life II

Dr. Jan Babcock

14 April 2019

1
ABSTRACT
With the prostitution industry running smoothly and continuing to grow at an increasing rate despite its
criminalization, the government must step in and begin to protect the workers in this industry from
unnecessary risk, while reaping economic benefits from the taxation and regulation of the over fifteen-
billion-dollar industry. Currently, gangs and mafias rule the prostitution industry, leading to unsafe work
environments and clients for prostitutes, along with a steady revenue stream into the black market and
underground world, largely due to an archaic moral position held by some politicians. By legalizing
prostitution in America, prostitutes would experience improved safety and health through decreased
incidence rates of violence and sexually transmitted disease (STD) transfer, while the government will
see nearly ten billion dollars in additional revenue and reduced ambiguity and objectionability of its
current legislation. Alongside legalization, the regulation of the sex industry to facilitate a healthy
relationship between sex workers and law enforcement, establish limitations for who can purchase and
sell sex, and enforce taxation and licensing schedules to uphold the legitimacy and trustworthiness of
the industry will create the best environment for both prostitutes and clients, allowing for a successful
transition into legalized prostitution.

2
LEGALIZING PROSTITUTION
In a nation where prostitution continues to increase and will likely never completely cease, the
government finds it necessary to punish the women who simply use the profession to financially survive.
Despite the average prostitute being assaulted twelve times per year and often neglecting to report the
incident; despite some sex workers having “unprotected sex 300 times per year”, which regulation could
decrease or even abolish; and, despite the billions of dollars illicitly changing hands, supporting mafias
and traffickers rather than the United States through industry taxation and small business growth, the
government still chooses to criminalize an act that will continue to occur whether criminalized or not.
Further, the arguments against prostitution generally consist of hackneyed and traditional morality
which fails to consider the possibility that sex workers may not regard their profession as a last resort.
Currently, even the dispersal of punishments inaccurately and disproportionately represents the events
occurring; although the system has recently seen some change, many states still see the purchasers of
sex walk free while the prostitute faces the brunt of the legal system.1 With regard to the immoral and
illogical pitfalls of the current system, the government should completely legalize prostitution with
sufficient regulation and taxation to ensure that both the prostitutes and the nation would see positive
consequences on safety and economic grounds.

Background and History


THE PRESENT SITUATION: AN OVERVIEW
What do mattresses, children’s sports leagues, American music, and prostitution have in common? Each
earns approximately 15 billion dollars in revenue annually.2,3,4,5 The place most people in America rest
their heads, the medium through which millions of American youth learn sportsmanship and teamwork,
and the pastime that consumes 32 hours of the average American’s week, now experience similar cash-
flow to an act the government refuses to legalize, largely on dated moral grounds. The prostitution
industry employs approximately one million people, specifically concentrated in the impoverished young
adult female demographic.6,7 “Johns”, a colloquial term for male sex purchasers, constitute nearly ten
percent of America’s population, about 40% of whom fall into the Urban Caucasian demographic.8,9

Due to prostitution’s current illegality in most states, the industry operates almost exclusively
underground, with street prostitutes, brothels, and escort services comprising the majority of America’s
direct sex trade.10 However, because of the criminality associated with the industry, the clientele
prostitutes serve often include unsafe and unsanitary men, such as gang members or men with sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs).

With 36% “beaten constantly [by pimps and clients]”, a murder rate up to 120 times higher than the
average citizen, and subject to “super-psychological brainwashing,” many sex-workers have a torturous,
pimp-dominated personal life to complement the often unhealthy and unhygienic work-life. 11,12,13,14
Without government regulation, sex purchasers have free reign to treat workers as cruelly as they desire

3
while pimps possess complete control over their workers, both of which propagate the slave-owner
stereotype in the sex industry. Further, pimps neglect to screen johns prior to selling a prostitute’s
services, which presents the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and infections, of which prostitutes
experience a 9% incidence rate (approximately 300 times higher than the average citizen).15,16 Pimps
also fail to enforce condom use among their clients, where using the contraceptive not only decreases
the pregnancy rate to 2-15%, but also proves effective in blocking sexually transmitted disease
pathogens from passing through, drastically decreasing the chance of disease spreading 17,18.

Citations for the following graphic and corresponding analysis. 19,20,21,22,23

A commonly cited issue with prostitution


lies in the commonality with which
prostitutes do not willingly offer their
services, rather a pimp or slave trader will
force them into the profession. The
victims of human trafficking, particularly
with respect to sex work, typically fall
into the youth or young adult categories.
Traffickers target young people for
several reasons:

1. Addicting a child or teenager to


dependence-inducing drugs, such
as cocaine or heroin, all-but-
ensures that the youth will
continue serving the trafficker to
maintain access to the drugs
2. Traffickers often find young
people more susceptible to luring
techniques, such as
advertisements of well-paying
work or promises of assistance
and refuge to runaways
3. Higher demand for young
prostitutes among clientele

The human trafficking industry collects 32


billion dollars annually, of which 80%
comes through prostitution and sex
slavery, largely because of the monopoly
on the industry currently possessed by
underground gangs and criminals.

4
PROSTITUTION LEGISLATION IN AMERICA: TIMELINE AND COMMENTARY

Tyler Dolan

Citations for the prostitution legislation and commentary above.24,25,26,27,28,29,30

5
Motivation for Legalization
SAFETY
By legalizing prostitution, prostitutes could report the violence they endure from pimps and clients to
police without fear of arrest or harassment. The current system dissuades prostitutes from reporting
abuse or assault because the prostitute could receive legal and monetary punishment whose impacts
could cripple the rest of her career.31,32 Further, law enforcement officers have the advantage of legal
backing, through which they can abuse prostitutes sexually and physically without fear of punishment,
since the prostitute cannot step forward about any profession-related assault.33,34 Legalization and
regulatory action would increase the safety of prostitutes in the following ways:

1. Without fear of punishment, prostitutes can report any wrongdoing from clients and bosses35
2. Law enforcement would no longer have legal leverage over prostitutes, decreasing the ability of
police to abuse their power to assault sex workers36
3. Sex workers would not have to travel to hidden and dangerous locations to work since they
need not fear getting caught37

In accordance with safer work locations, prostitutes’ clients would not commit a crime when paying for
sex, which would alter the demographic of johns from potentially untrustworthy and unsafe, to more
professional and harmless.38 Prostitutes would experience an inherently safer work environment when
managing businessmen and legal professionals as opposed to mobsters and criminals, because the
propensity for professionals to risk their livelihoods by assaulting a sex worker, who could report their
behavior to law enforcement, falls well beneath the likelihood that a violent convict would behave the
same way. Operating with safer people, in safer locations, and under full protection of the law would
reduce the risk that prostitutes face when going to work on a daily basis; given sex workers simply
provide a desirable service, they deserve equal rights to protection and safety as the countless other
service providing professions in America.39

6
HEALTH
To reduce the ever-present fear of STD spread both to and from prostitutes and clients, legalizing the
prostitution industry would allow for legal regulations and mandatory screening on both sex workers
and consumers, to ensure that either party with a spreadable STD cannot participate. By following the
lead of places with legal and regulated prostitution, such as Nevada and Germany, which mandate STD
testing and regular health check-ups, government regulation could protect the health of prostitutes and
their clients.40,41

By regulating sex workers and purchasers, the government can further ensure the lack of STD spread by
mandating condom use in all varieties of sex work. Again, following Nevada’s lead, government
enforcement of condom use would decrease the frequency with which prostitutes have unprotected
sex, a number which currently lies around 300 times per year on average, to provide one more layer of
defense against STD spread.42,43 A decrease in unprotected sex would also decrease unintended
pregnancy in sex workers, a predicament that impacts up to one-quarter of sex workers annually, which
would decrease abortion rates and improve the mental health of prostitutes and clients. 44

The current system allows any john to purchase any variety of sex from any sex worker; the
criminalization of the sex industry prohibits any regulation on prostitutes, clients, or condom-use, each
of which contributes to the unintended heath and pregnancy problems experienced within the
profession. Altering the system to protect the health of those involved requires the legalization of sex
work, such that the government could step in to take measures to ensure that prostitutes and clients
practice healthy behavior.

ECONOMICS
Beyond the safety and health of over a million American citizens working as prostitutes, the government
currently forgoes the economic benefits associated with the oversight of a multi-billion-dollar industry,
including tax revenue and cutting jail costs. Regarding tax alone, the American government could
impose any degree of tax on the direct consumption of sex work, then it would reap further tax benefits
by taxing the income of prostitutes and prostitution businesses. In the model displayed in the
infographic, the following are assumed:

1. Constant pre-tax price and demand (although demand will likely increase with sex work’s
legalization).
2. A 25% sales tax (consistent with other once prohibited things such as alcohol and marijuana) 45,46
3. A 20% income/profit tax on prostitutes and businesses (average small business and median
income tax rates)47,48

In addition to the gains from taxes, America could also directly cut prison costs by reducing the quantity
of convicts; in the infographic, only direct prisoner costs, such as guard salaries, food, prison utilities,
etc. are considered, which neglects other implicit costs such as legal fees, court fees, and the
opportunity cost of law enforcement’s time.49,50,51

7
Tyler Dolan

Not only would legalizing sex work bolster America’s economy by nearly 10 billion dollars per year, but it
would also take 18 billion dollars of untaxed, unregulated money out of the hands of underground gangs
and mobs. Since prostitution will continue to occur regardless of government intervention, allowing
both the government and legal businesses to benefit economically from the scale of the industry seems
more logical than allowing criminals to retain complete control over many billions of dollars with
minimal resistance.52,53

8
MORALITY
“They Came to me racked with stress and tension, and left feeling relaxed and blissful. I could take pride
in my work” ~ Annie Sprinkle PhD, former prostitute and author.54

Many prostitutes, like Dr. Annie Sprinkle, enjoy and pride themselves on their work, refuting the
stereotype that all sex workers prostitute out of necessity, rather than regarding the profession as a
legitimate and potentially lucrative career. Many sex workers feel that prostitution requires significant
physical and emotional skill and gives them the opportunity to help someone in need, while earning a
respectable wage.55,56

The present system punishes sex workers who take pride in their profession, largely claiming they
should not take pride in an “immoral” act. Margo St. James, the feminist founder of the “Call off your old
tired ethics” movement, uses a reduction ad absurdum argument to express the questionability of
prostitution laws, stating “It is perfectly legal for a woman to have sex with anyone she chooses, at any
time. But the minute five cents changes hands … she goes to jail.57” A similar argument for pornography
in America exists as a person who has sex for money goes to prison for prostitution, while a person who
has sex for money on camera is deemed an actor or actress.58 Legalizing prostitution reduces the archaic
immorality argument of the current legislation along with the apparent contradiction between sex-work
and sex-film laws, while allowing prostitutes to feel pride in their work without feeling like criminals.

DOUBLE STANDARDS
Beyond the debatable ethicality of the current system, it also tends to punish the incorrect people as
prostitutes face the brunt of the fines and legal backlash while johns walk free. Celebrity prostitute Heidi
Kleiss previously said, “The men are protected, coddled, patted on the back – they even brag about
committing a crime,” which depicts the problem with current legislation from a prostitute’s
experience.59 Legal experts have affirmed this reality, while also discussing the effective impunity of
pimps, who tend to remove themselves from any potential legal blame.60

In addition to their ordinary citizen clients, some prostitutes have served law enforcement and judicial
system clients.61 Enforcers of the law hypocritically seeking sex purchase compromises the legitimacy of
the legal system, as neither the prostitutes nor the public can have any faith in such an organization
once experiencing a violation firsthand. Legal system clients support the immunity idea as police officers
and judges will not arrest and convict themselves, further weakening the already corrupt enterprise.

While prostitution laws have become stricter, typically including a Class A misdemeanor for first offenses
and up to a class 3 felony for four or more, America has historically followed a pay-and-go system
regarding sex work.62 In 1930 Arizona, for example, brothel members plead guilty to pandering and paid
$25 (~$450 today) while brothel facilitators paid $50 for brothel operation, then both parties walked
away with the state a bit richer and sex workers effectively unpunished. 63 Although this type of
arrangement seems unlikely today, many laws still exist simply to gain small revenues, such as
Washington D.C.’s no “playing games in streets”. This type of trivial law illegitimatizes all such laws that
act as revenue generators rather than disincentives of bad behaviors, including prostitution laws.

9
Next Steps
WHAT TO DO
With the overwhelming evidence supporting the lawfulness of prostitution, the logical next step remains
complete legalization. An important distinction exists between legalization and decriminalization, and
this distinction requires thorough consideration as the former allows the government to regulate both
the work and the economics of the industry, whereas decriminalization effectively changes nothing
except legal punishments on prostitutes and johns.64 By legalizing the industry, the government could
effect the aforementioned health and safety regulations while reaping the economic benefits from
taxation. This approach would consider and prioritize all five of the current issues with the system, while
decriminalization would only impact morality and current flaws because the government would have
minimal influence over the clients, the prostitutes, or the profits, allowing the industry to remain
unhealthy and unsafe for prostitutes and unprofitable for the government.

Tyler Dolan

The comprehensive legalization of prostitution would consist of all statutory books wiped clean of
general prostitution charges, leaving only thorough regulations and the punishment for breaking those
regulations. Unlike decriminalization however, states will also provide a tax code specific to prostitution,
just as each state has a unique liquor tax, alongside guidelines and training for law enforcement to help
ease the transition to legality and provide the necessary tools to best protect the safety and health of
prostitutes. The following sections will discuss more specific regulatory measures and taxation in
addition to the broad overview of the legalization process, including which people must take action to
improve this system.

10
HOW TO DO IT
Alongside a significant alteration to a controversial social construct like prostitution comes the necessity
for sufficient and enforceable regulation that covers most, if not all, bases for objection. A successful
regulatory code will consist of three administrative categories, namely safety and health, taxation, and
enforcement, whose constituents include measures ranging from legislation to training programs as
described below.

Safety and Health

By legalizing prostitution, the government undertakes the responsibility of protecting prostitutes while
they work, but it also must continue to protect children whom the prostitution industry could negatively
affect. Therefore, legalizing sex work would require a two-pronged safety-focused legislation campaign
focusing on these two demographics, such that prostitutes could offer their services without worrying
about abuse or disease, and society could rest having faith that its youth would maintain their innocence
until at least early adulthood.

Legislators can fortify prostitute safety by mandating condom use, screening both clients and sex
workers for STDs prior to purchase, and creating a pipeline for abuse victims to notify law enforcement
and receive immediate aid. Many prostitutes often engage in unprotected sex because the prostitute
feels uncomfortable carrying condoms in fear of arousing suspicion of pandering, or because the client
prefers sex without a condom and will pay at a premium to neglect condom use.65,66 Mandatory condom
use, however, must appear in an exhaustive regulation plan as the HIV/AIDS rate among prostitutes and
johns has seen significant decreases upon mandating condom use in prostitution-legal countries.67 To
further protect both parties from the threat of STDs, sex workers and purchasers alike should have to
pass regular health screenings of all common and transmittable STDs before engaging in sex work or
purchase, similar to the current system in Nevada.68 By controlling the population with STDs such that a
healthy worker never prostitutes to an unhealthy john, or vice versa, the government can effectively
control and eliminate STD spread through prostitution. The final regulatory measure necessary to
protect the safety of prostitutes regards abuse protection and the presence of an accessible and
functioning reporting system for physical and sexual abuse through local law enforcement.
Implementing a system in which trained officers can swiftly and appropriately respond to either 9-1-1
calls from prostitutes reporting assault, or a prostitute specific law enforcement hotline or extension,
will ensure that prostitutes feel willing and able to ask for help with which officers can assist.

Alongside prostitutes, the youth demographic faces the risk of negative influence from prostitution, in
that children could find entrance into the sex industry or the advertisement and promotion of
prostitution could corrupt children at a younger age that society deems desirable. The threat of minors
entering sex work has unfortunately existed for hundreds of years, and the legalization of prostitution
will realistically have little effect on this industry, simply because child traffickers already face heavy
punishment and those seeking young sex workers will likely continue operating illegally with child
traffickers.69 The only piece of regulation the government should pass regarding child trafficking after
prostitution’s legalization will simply criminalize all sex-work with prostitutes under 18 years of age, as
well as all nonconsensual sex work. While these measures will not stop child trafficking, they will at least
make the reprehensible act of child trafficking illegal and harshly punishable, which will hopefully
discourage people from trafficking when a legal and profitable business exists in adult prostitution. Once

11
again following Nevada’s lead, prohibiting the public advertisement of prostitution and any prostitution
near areas with a high youth presence, such as schools or parks, will help fortify the minds of children
from prostitution until they reach an age in which they can decide for themselves how they wish to
regard the act and the profession. With the drawbacks to early and frequent exposure to pornography
in mind, some regulation on the availability of prostitution advertisement seems necessary to delay
children’s’ entrance into the explicit world by at least a little while.70

Taxation

To allow the government to profit from the newly legalized industry, it must create and enforce a
thorough tax code for both individual prostitutes and prostitution businesses, while also encouraging
prostitutes to join brothels and businesses. While the former requires little explanation (the government
must tax to get money), encouraging brothels over individual prostitution has several unique benefits,
both socially and economically. The overarching tax code for the prostitution industry will consist of sex
workers taxed at their income bracket and treated just like any other professional, sex work taxed at a
consumption level similar to alcohol or marijuana (where legal), and sex businesses taxed at the
proprietorship, partnership, or corporation level, according to their annual tax filings which will mirror
any other business. These tax levels break down as follows, with no deviation from any other profession,
service, or business:

 Income Tax rate most likely at 22 – 24% as most prostitutes see a taxable annual compensation
of 49 to 106 thousand71,72
 Consumption tax rate of 25%73,74
 Business tax rate of 20%75

A slight discrepancy from ordinary tax code will arise, however, in the difference in tax rate between
brothel prostitutes and individual prostitutes. Brothel prostitutes will see a 20% income tax cut, giving
them a 4.2 – 4.4 percentage point tax advantage over their solo counterparts. The notion to encourage
prostitutes to work for brothels or businesses rather than for themselves emerges when considering the
following:

 Prostitutes in brothels will not “streetwalk”, mitigating the dirty street-corner prostitute
stereotype
 The government will reap significantly greater tax benefits when seeing 17.6 – 19.2% income tax
and 20% business tax, rather than just the income tax of an individual prostitute.

Enforcement

Policies and regulation have little meaning when the industry chooses not to follow the legislation,
which prompts the need for some variety of enforcement mechanism, namely industry licensing and
officer training. The simple but necessary licensing structure for sex sellers and purchasers would consist
of specific requirements unique to each demographic as follows:

 Johns: Background checks (physical violence), health checks (STDs)


 Prostitutes: Background check, health checks, tax standing, brothel affiliation
 Brothels: Tax standing, random checks for cleanliness and worker safety, owner and manager
background checks, law abidance checks, compensation checks (ensure workers get paid)

12
While a seemingly simple concept, training law enforcement to appropriately manage issues regarding
prostitution could go unnoticed and therefore unpromoted, leading to a poorly informed officer
population unable to help the prostitutes who could need their assistance. Officer training would consist
of a short online program for all new and current law enforcement, with the primary goal being gaining
enough knowledge on the prostitution industry and the risks associated with it to understand how to
step into a situation without further endangering the prostitute. Police would only need to assist
prostitutes if the sex worker called for help against an abusive client or manager, therefore officer
training would include primarily strategies to deescalate prostitution-specific assault and carry on, with
verbal confrontation, physical confrontation, or legal confrontation (arrest) as needed.

WHO NEEDS TO ACT


Prostitutes, the public, and congress. Without all three, no dramatic change in prostitution legislation
will occur and nobody will experience the social and economic benefits associate with sex work’s
legalization. The first step towards legalization comes with sex workers, a large amount of whom have
already expressed a desire to legalize the industry. Next comes the public, who currently appears split,
but has hopefully considered the numerous benefits of legalization and will begin to passionately and
vocally support the movement, because without public interest nobody will really care, and prostitutes
will continue to suffer. Once the public proves it cares, congresspeople will cling to their votes by
appeasing their constituents and supporting the legalization cause. Regardless of gender, race, class, or
party, the public must first take action and put its weight behind this movement, such that in due time,
legislators will recognize the massive potential for the economic growth through the industry and
quality of life improvement for over a million sex workers. Only then, with the backing of millions, will
the government take action to end the ever-questionable criminalization of prostitution.

13
1
Steiner, Monica, and Contributing Author. “Are Prostitutes and ‘Johns’ Punished Equally?”
www.criminaldefenselawyer.com. Accessed March 28, 2019.
https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/are-prostitutes-and-johns-punished-
equally.htm.

2
Desjardins, Jeff. “Why Tech Is Targeting the $15 billion Mattress Market.” Visual Capitalist, January 11,
2018. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/tech-targeting-15-billion-mattress-market/.

3
“How Kids’ Sports Became a $15 billion Industry.” Time. Accessed March 27, 2019.
http://time.com/4913687/how-kids-sports-became-15-billion-industry/.

4
“U.S. Sales Database.” RIAA. Accessed March 27, 2019. https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/.

5
“Prostitution Statistics.” Accessed March 27, 2019. https://www.havocscope.com/prostitution-
statistics/.

6
“Prostitution Statistics - Sex Crimes | Laws.Com.” Accessed March 27, 2019. https://sex-
crimes.laws.com/prostitution/prostitution-statistics.

7
“U.S. Sales Database” (n 4)

8
Ibid

9
Kolodny, Carina. “9 Things You Didn’t Know About American Prostitution.” HuffPost, 01:50 400AD.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/12/sex-trade-study_n_4951891.html.

10
Harcourt, C., and B. Donovan. “The Many Faces of Sex Work.” Sexually Transmitted Infections 81, no. 3
(June 1, 2005): 201–6. https://doi.org/10.1136/sti.2004.012468.

11
Sanders, Professor Teela, Stewart Cunningham, Dr Lucy, Pippa Grenfell, and Dr PG Macioti.
“REVIEWING THE OCCUPATIONAL RISKS OF SEX WORKERS IN COMPARISON TO OTHER ‘RISKY’
PROFESSIONS. JULY 2017,” n.d., 4.

12
“Erbe - Prostitutes Victims of Men’s Exploitation and Abu.Pdf.” Accessed March 29, 2019.
https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1295&context=lawineq.

13
Hall, S., and B. Adelman. Gentleman of Leisure: A Year in the Life of a Pimp. powerHouse Books, 2006.
https://books.google.com/books?id=ewE_AAAACAAJ.

14
“Prostitution Statistics.” (n 6)

15
“Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2017,” 2017, 168.

16
Verscheijden, Maud M. A., Petra J. Woestenberg, Hannelore M. Götz, Maaike G. van Veen, Femke D.
H. Koedijk, and Birgit H. B. van Benthem. “Sexually Transmitted Infections among Female Sex
Workers Tested at STI Clinics in the Netherlands, 2006–2013.” Emerging Themes in
Epidemiology 12 (August 28, 2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-015-0034-7.

14
17
“Condoms and STDs: Fact Sheet for Public Health Personnel,” n.d., 3.

18
“What Is the Effectiveness of Condoms?” Accessed March 29, 2019.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/condom/how-effective-are-condoms.

19
InfographicReporter. “Trading Infographic : A Graphic That Really Helps Visualize the Statistics of
Human Trafficking in The...” JobLoving.Com | Your Number One Source For Daily Job
Opportunities (blog), May 4, 2017. http://jobloving.com/infographics/trading/trading-
infographic-a-graphic-that-really-helps-visualize-the-statistics-of-human-trafficking-in-the/.

20
Silbert, M. H., A. M. Pines, and T. Lynch. “Substance Abuse and Prostitution.” Journal of Psychoactive
Drugs 14, no. 3 (September 1982): 193–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.1982.10471928.

21
“Help Wanted Signs Lead to Human Trafficking Concerns.” Accessed March 30, 2019.
https://www.abc12.com/content/news/Help-wanted-signs-lead-to-human-trafficking-concerns-
427080053.html.

22
“11 Facts About Human Trafficking.” DoSomething.org. Accessed March 30, 2019.
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-human-trafficking.

23
“Prostitution Statistics” (n 5)

24
“General Law - Part IV, Title I, Chapter 272, Section 53A.” Accessed March 27, 2019.
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter272/Section53A.

25
“Comstock Law of 1873 | Encyclopedia.Com.” Accessed March 27, 2019.
https://www.encyclopedia.com/law/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/comstock-
law-1873.

26
“Mann Act.” TheFreeDictionary.com. Accessed March 27, 2019. https://legal-
dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Mann+Act.

27
Deady, Gail M. “The Girl Next Door: A Comparative Approach to Prostitution Laws and Sex Trafficking
Victim Identification Within the Prostitution Industry,” 2011, 43.

28
“Did Nevada Have No Legal Brothels before 1971?” Reno Gazette Journal. Accessed March 27, 2019.
https://www.rgj.com/story/factchecker/2012/12/15/did-nevada-have-no-legal-brothels-before-
1971/5680295/.

29
Zaken, Ministerie van Algemene. “Prostitution - Government.Nl.” Onderwerp, April 14, 2014.
https://www.government.nl/topics/prostitution.

30
“What Is and Is Not Legal under Canada’s New Prostitution Laws.” Accessed March 27, 2019.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/what-is-and-is-not-legal-under-canadas-new-
200231637.html.

15
31
infographicReporter. “Trading Infographic : A Graphic That Really Helps Visualize the
Statistics of Human Trafficking in The...” JobLoving.Com | Your Number One Source
For Daily Job Opportunities (blog), May 4, 2017.
http://jobloving.com/infographics/trading/trading-infographic-a-graphic-that-really-helps-
visualize-the-statistics-of-human-trafficking-in-the/.
32
“POL3040622016ENGLISH.Pdf.” Accessed March 31, 2019.
https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/POL3040622016ENGLISH.PDF.

33
“New Zealand Vice Battle ‘Not over Yet,’” December 4, 2004.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4067117.stm.

34
Deadly, Gail M. (n 27)

35
“Legalize Prostitution.” Legalize Prostitution. Accessed March 31, 2019.
https://chelseasamsblog.wordpress.com/.

36
Deadly, Gail M. (n 27)

37
Ibid

38
“Argument: Prostitution Should Be Legalized.” Open Collection of Student Writing (OCSW) (blog),
February 14, 2018. http://slccocsw.org/argument-prostitution-legalized/.

39
“Can Legally Regulated Prostitution Reduce Sex Crimes?” Infographics Archive, November 25, 2014.
https://www.infographicsarchive.com/love-infographics/can-legally-regulated-prostitution-
reduce-sex-crimes/.

40
“Nevada Prostitution and Solicitation Laws - FindLaw.Com.” Findlaw. Accessed March 31, 2019.
https://statelaws.findlaw.com/nevada-law/nevada-prostitution-and-solicitation-laws.html.

41
Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. “Germany Introduces Unpopular Prostitution Law | DW |
02.07.2017.” DW.COM. Accessed March 31, 2019. https://www.dw.com/en/germany-
introduces-unpopular-prostitution-law/a-39511761.

42
“Prostitution Statistics – Sex Crimes” (n 6)

43
infographicReporter. (n 31)

44
Feldblum, Paul J., Marlina D. Nasution, Theresa H. Hoke, Kathleen Van Damme, Abigail N. Turner,
Rebecca Gmach, Emelita L. Wong, and Frieda Behets. “Pregnancy among Sex Workers
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45
Scarboro, Morgan. “How High Are Spirits Taxes in Your State?” Tax Foundation (blog), June 22, 2017.
https://taxfoundation.org/states-spirits-taxes-2017/.

16
46
“How High Are Marijuana Taxes in Your State?” Tax Foundation (blog), April 26, 2018.
https://taxfoundation.org/state-marijuana-taxes-2018/.

47
“Small Business Tax Rate: 2019 Guide for Business Owners.” Fundera Ledger (blog), December 4, 2018.
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48
Bankrate.com. “2018-2019 Tax Brackets | Bankrate.Com.” Bankrate. Accessed March 31, 2019.
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49
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50
“Understanding Prostitution and the Need for Reform,” 2014, 27.

51
“What is and is not legal under Canada’s New Prostitution Laws.” (n 30)

52
“Sex Sells.” Accessed March 31, 2019. https://infograph.venngage.com/p/133165/sex-sells.

53
“Can Legally Regulated Prostitution Reduce Sex Crimes?” (n 39)

54
Sprinkle, Annie. Hardcore from the Heart: The Pleasures, Profits and Politics of Sex in Performance.
A&C Black, 2006.

55
“The Case for Legalizing Sex Work | Social Justice & Democratization Space.” Accessed April 1, 2019.
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56
Feldblum, Paul J. (n 44)

57
“MetroActive Movies | Talking Pictures.” Accessed April 1, 2019.
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/03.05.98/talk-pix-9809.html.

58
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2/adult-entertainment/pornography-obscenity/.

59
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https://prostitution.procon.org/view.source.php?sourceID=000745.

60
“US Federal and State Prostitution Laws and Related Punishments - Legal Prostitution - ProCon.Org.”
Accessed April 1, 2019. https://prostitution.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000119.

61
“Argument: Prostitution Should be legalized” (n 38)

62
“Pelham D. Glassford - Legal Prostitution - ProCon.Org.” Accessed April 1, 2019.
https://prostitution.procon.org/view.source.php?sourceID=000325.

63
“D.C. Law Library - § 22–1308. Playing Games in Streets.” Accessed April 1, 2019.

17
https://code.dccouncil.us/dc/council/code/sections/22-1308.html.

64
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Prostitution.” Business Insider. Accessed April 2, 2019. https://www.businessinsider.com/sex-
worker-explains-the-difference-between-legalizing-and-decriminalizing-prostitution-2015-6.

65
Collier, Roger. “Condoms for Sex Work: Protection or Evidence?” CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association
Journal 186, no. 10 (July 8, 2014): E353–54. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.109-4804.

66
“Sex Workers, HIV and AIDS.” AVERT, July 20, 2015. https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-social-
issues/key-affected-populations/sex-workers.

67
“Sherry F. Colb, JD” (n 59)

68
“Nevada Prostitution and Solicitation Laws -- FindLaws.com” (n 40)

69
“US History of Sexual Exploitation of Children (News).” Women At Risk International TM, May 11, 2012.
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70
Kelly, Guy. “The Scary Effects of Pornography: How the 21st Century’s Acute Addiction Is Rewiring Our
Brains.” The Telegraph, September 11, 2017. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-
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71
“Prostitution Salaries | Simply Hired.” Accessed April 6, 2019. https://www.simplyhired.com/salaries-
k-prostitution-jobs.html.

72
Bankrate.com (n 48)

73
Scarboro, Meghan (n 45)

74
“How High Are Marijuana Taxes in Your State?” (n 46)

75
“Small Business Tax Rate: 2019 Guide for Business Owners.” (n 47)

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