Title: 9.4 Prostitution – Social Problems
Headings: 9.4 Prostitution
9.4 Prostitution
Learning Objectives
History of Prostitution
Prostitution in the United States Today
Types of Prostitutes
Explaining Prostitution
Customers
Sociological Perspectives
Dealing with Prostitution
Lessons from Other Societies
Key Takeaways
References

Content: 9.4 Prostitution – Social Problems
9.4 Prostitution
Learning Objectives
Summarize the history of prostitution in the United States. List the reasons that lead many people to dislike prostitution. Explain the problems that streetwalkers experience and why these problems occur. Prostitution, the selling of sexual services, is yet another controversial sexual behavior. Many people, and especially those with conservative, religious views, believe prostitution is immoral because it involves sex for money, and they consider prostitution a sign of society’s moral decay. Many feminists believe that prostitution is degrading to women and provides a context in which prostitutes are robbed, beaten, and/or raped. These two groups of people might agree on little else, but they both hold strong negative views about prostitution. Regardless of their other beliefs, many people also worry that prostitution spreads STDs. All these groups think prostitution should remain illegal, and they generally prefer stricter enforcement of laws against prostitution. Other people also do not like prostitution, but they believe that the laws against prostitution do more harm than good.