| Countries around the world are examining how to deal with prostitution. Although there are tens of thousands of arrests in the U.S. each year for prostitution and related crimes, in 11 Nevada counties prostitution is legal. Because this polarizing issue is debated in universities, parliaments, and our city's streets, and given the public policy implications, we thought it was ripe for our nonpartisan pro-con examination. |
| PRO:
Proponents believe legalization would reduce crime, improve public health, increase tax revenue, and allow for individuals to make their own choices. Some claim legalization of prostitution is a necessary step in sexual liberation, helps people out of poverty, and gets prostitutes off the street. |
CON: Opponents believe legalization would lead to increases in crime, illegal prostitution, sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS, and human trafficking. Some argue that prostitution is inherently immoral, empowers the criminal underworld, and promotes the repression of women by men. |
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