Many countries have laws about prostitution . Some countries have made prostitution illegal . Some jurisdictions outlaw the act of prostitution ( the exchange of sexual services for money ) ; other countries do not prohibit prostitution itself , but ban the activities typically associated with it ( soliciting in a public place , operating a brothel , pimping etc. ) , making it difficult to engage in prostitution without breaking any law ; while in a few countries prostitution is legal and regulated .