Prostitution+in+the+USA

By: Brittany Broaddus-Smith = = = Introduction =

Prostitution is the oldest occupation. This culture is a subculture with roots nearly as far back as our human experience. This is one aspect of a larger culture considered the Sex Industry or Sex Work. It is complex in nature with social, sexual, gendered, emotional and even criminal elements. The picture below is of Dennis Hoff, owner of //The Bunny Ranch//. This is a legal brothel in Mound House, Nevada. The women surrounding him are some of the licensed prostitutes who are employees of this establishment. The following page will explore prostitution in the United States of America. toc

What is it?
Prostitution is generally defined as a sexual activity in exchange for some form of compensation (Franklin, 2007). In America, prostitution is criminalized in all but one state. Prostitution, as a crime defined by the law, is generally comprised of three components (Franklin, 2007): (A) some activity or conduct that is sexual in nature, (B) a form of compensation (monetary or otherwise) (C) an intent to commit the act of prostitution

What does it look like?
States' definitions of sexual activity vary for the purposes of prostitution. As shared statute amongst states "require that an an individual perform, offer to perform, or agree to perform a sexual act in order for that individual to be charged with prostitution" (Franklin, 2007, p. 702). Some states consider this any act of sexual penetration while some require sexual intercourse. Meanwhile Other states include fellatio, assisted masturbation, or "physical contact of [a] person's clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or breast" (Franklin, 2007, p. 703).

Regulations
Nevada is the only state in the America that has legalized prostitution. There are legal brothels located in 10 out of the17 counties in Nevada (Heineman, et al, 2012). While serving nearly 400,000 clients a year, the Nevada brothel industry profits between $35-50 million annually (Heineman, et al, 2012). Legal prostitutes are required to finance and undergo mandatory health checks prior to becoming licensed. This requirement is enforced whenever they enter a brothel to work (Franklin, 2007). Additionally, brothel employees have mandatory weekly pap smears. Each month, they are given blood tests to rule out sexually transmitted infections. Condoms are mandatory in the Nevada brothels (Franklin, 2007).

**Reality**

Prostitution is occurring in practically, every city and every state in the country in one form of another from street prostitution to escort services. This is the oldest profession. Yet only a small fraction of the country gets to “legally” participate. While selling sex is illegal in most of the United States of America, the American marketing industry is flourishing for selling sex (Heineman, et al, 2012). We have all heard the term “sex sells”. Industries are increasingly using sex to sell other products. This trend is evident in television programs, radio talk shows, music videos, commercials and print ads, billboards and magazine covers (Heineman, et al, 2012).

What does this all mean? Is American truly becoming more sex positive?

Implications
media type="youtube" key="_aekgeRAkko" width="560" height="315" As shown in the video above, prostitution is often met by very strong and virtually polar opposite viewpoints. Mainstream descriptions of prostitution view it as a social problem where sex workers are ALL victims that need to be rescued (Jackson, 2016). Advocacy from this perspective aims to protect and rescue, therefore, criminalizing participants. Whereas a new wave of advocacy has reframed the goal to be labor rights and equal rights (Jackson, 2016). COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) is an organization committed to just that (Jackson, 2016). Advocates and workers strive to remove the stigmatization from sex work. Instead of it being viewed as violence, sex work should be viewed as work according to rights-based advocates (Jackson, 2016). Workers endeavor not to be considered a victim of prostitution in and of itself, but instead of larger ills like poverty and gender inequality (Jackson, 2016).

Research Limitations
The following dynamics appear to be missing from the literature: = = =References= Franklin, D. J. (2007). Prostitution and sex workers. // Georgetown Journal Of Gender And The Law //, (2), 355. Retrieved from http://0 www.heinonline.org.libcat.widener.edu/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/grggenl8&div=20&?&collection=journals
 * The experience and prevalence of male workers
 * The experience and prevalence of non-heteronormative practitioners
 * Statistically accurate data (This is difficult to acquire due to the limited access to participants because of the inherently secretive nature of this culture).
 * Rights-based Advocacy instead of Victim Advocacy research

Heineman, J., MacFarlane, R. T., Brents, B. G. (2012). Sex industry and sex workers in Nevada. //The Social Health of Nevada: Leading Indicators and Quality of Life in the Silver State// 1-26. Retrieved from http://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/social_health_nevada_reports/48

Jackson, C. A. (2016). Framing sex worker rights: How U.S. sex worker rights activists perceive and respond to mainstream anti-sex trafficking advocacy. //Sociological Perspectives,// //59//(1), 27-45. Retrieved from http://spx.sagepub.com.libcat.widener.edu/content/59/1/27.full.pdf+html

John Stossel investigates The Bunny Ranch [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aekgeRAkkoU