reading

Global Prostitution Data

Facts and details of global prostitution

Heinz Duthel

DEDICATION

To my dear friend, Author of: No Money no Honey, 1993

CONTENTS

Prostitution by country

Prostitution in Africa

Prostitution in Asia

Prostitution in Europe

Prostitution in the United States

Prostitution in Australia

Prostitution in New Zealand

Prostitution in Burkina Faso

Prostitution in Afghanistan

Prostitution in Bangladesh

Prostitution in Brunei

Prostitution in Burma

Prostitution in Cambodia

Prostitution in the People's Republic of China

Prostitution in Egypt

Prostitution in Hong Kong

Prostitution in India

Prostitution in Indonesia

Prostitution in Iran

Prostitution in Iraq

Prostitution in Israel

Prostitution in Japan

Prostitution in North Korea

Prostitution in South Korea

Prostitution in Kuwait

Prostitution in Lebanon

Prostitution in Malaysia

Prostitution in Nepal

Prostitution in Oman

Prostitution in Pakistan

Prostitution in Palestine

Prostitution in the Philippines

Prostitution in Qatar

Prostitution in Russia

Prostitution in Saudi Arabia

Prostitution in Singapore

Prostitution in Sri Lanka

Prostitution in Syria

Prostitution in Taiwan

Prostitution in Thailand

Prostitution in the United Arab Emirates

Prostitution in Vietnam

Prostitution in Yemen

Prostitution in Austria

Prostitution in the Czech Republic

Prostitution in Denmark

Prostitution in Estonia

Prostitution in France

Prostitution in Germany

Prostitution in Hungary

Prostitution in Iceland

Prostitution in the Republic of Ireland

Prostitution in Italy

Prostitution in the Netherlands

Prostitution in Sweden

Prostitution in Spain

Prostitution in Turkey

Prostitution in Ukraine

Prostitution in the United Kingdom

Prostitution in Belize

Prostitution in Canada

Prostitution in Costa Rica

Prostitution in Cuba

Prostitution in the Dominican Republic

Prostitution in El Salvador

Prostitution in Guatemala

Prostitution in Haiti

Prostitution in Honduras

Prostitution in Jamaica

Prostitution in Mexico

Prostitution in Nicaragua

Prostitution in PanamA

Prostitution in Trinidad and Tobago

Prostitution in Argentina

Prostitution in Bolivia

Prostitution in Brazil

Prostitution in Chile

Prostitution in Colombia

Prostitution in Ecuador

Prostitution in Guyana

Prostitution in Paraguay

Prostitution in Peru

Prostitution in Suriname

Prostitution in Uruguay

Prostitution in Venezuela

Street child

Prostitution of children

Sex tourism

Erotic massage

Handjob

Oral sex

Sexual intercourse

Transsexualism

Kathoey

Bisexuality

Child sex tourism

Human trafficking

Trading Women

Mama-san

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

UNHCR, Angel Mothers, Bangkok

Wordwide Prostitution

The laws on prostitution vary considerably around the world. In some jurisdictions prostitution is illegal. In other places prostitution itself (exchanging sex for money) is legal, but most surrounding activities (such as soliciting in a public place, operating a brothel and other forms of pimping) are illegal, often making it very difficult to engage in prostitution without breaking any law. In some jurisdictions prostitution is legal and regulated.

Africa

Prostitution is illegal in the majority of Africa countries. Nevertheless, it is common, driven by the widespread poverty in many sub-Saharan African countries, and is one of the drivers for the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Social breakdown and poverty caused by civil war in several African countries has caused further increases in the rate of prostitution in those countries. For these reasons, some African countries have also become destinations for sex tourism.

AIDS infection rates are particularly high among African sex workers. Long distance truck drivers have been identified as a group with the high-risk behaviour of sleeping with prostitutes and a tendency to spread the infection along trade routes in the region. Infection rates of up to 33% were observed in this group in the late 1980s in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

• Prostitution in Burkina Faso

• Prostitution in Cameroon

• Prostitution in Côte d'Ivoire

• Prostitution in Egypt

• Prostitution in Eritrea

• Prostitution in Ethiopia

• Prostitution in Liberia

• Prostitution in Morocco

• Prostitution in Nigeria

• Prostitution in Rwanda

• Prostitution in Senegal

• Prostitution in Swaziland

• Prostitution in Tanzania

• Prostitution in Uganda

• Prostitution in Zanzibar

• Prostitution in Zimbabwe

Asia

In Asia, the main characteristic of the region is the very big discrepancy between the laws which exist on the books and what occurs in practice. For example, in Thailand prostitution is illegal, but in practice it is tolerated and partly regulated, and the country is a destination for sex tourism. Such situations are common in many Asian countries. In these countries there is a very strong double standard: while it is considered acceptable for men to use the services of the prostitutes, the prostitutes themselves are stigmatized by the whole society, as "respectable" women are expected to refrain from sexual activity until marriage.

Child prostitution is a serious problem in this region. Past surveys indicate that 30 to 35 percent of all prostitutes in the Mekong sub-region of Southeast Asia are between 12 and 17 years of age.

• Prostitution in Afghanistan

• Prostitution in Bangladesh

• Prostitution in Brunei

• Prostitution in Burma

• Prostitution in Cambodia

• Prostitution in the People's Republic of China

• Prostitution in Egypt

• Prostitution in Hong Kong

• Prostitution in India

• Prostitution in Indonesia

• Prostitution in Iran

• Prostitution in Iraq

• Prostitution in Israel

• Prostitution in Japan

• Prostitution in North Korea

• Prostitution in South Korea

• Prostitution in Kuwait

• Prostitution in Lebanon

• Prostitution in Malaysia

• Prostitution in Nepal

• Prostitution in Oman

• Prostitution in Pakistan

• Prostitution in the Palestinian territories

• Prostitution in the Philippines

• Prostitution in Qatar

• Prostitution in Russia

• Prostitution in Saudi Arabia

• Prostitution in Singapore

• Prostitution in Sri Lanka

• Prostitution in Syria

• Prostitution in Taiwan

• Prostitution in Thailand

• Prostitution in the United Arab Emirates

• Prostitution in Vietnam

• Prostitution in Yemen

Europe

The most common legal system in the European Union is that which allows prostitution itself (the exchange of sex for money) but prohibits associated activities (brothels, pimping etc.).

In Sweden, Norway and Iceland it is illegal to pay for sex (the client commits a crime, but not the prostitute).

In the UK, it is illegal to pay for sex with a prostitute who has been “subjected to force” and this is a strict liability offense (clients can be prosecuted even if they didn’t know the prostitute was forced), although prostitution itself is not illegal.

In Netherlands, prostitution is legal, regulated and accepted by society. The majority of these women are foreigners.

The enforcement of the anti-prostitution laws varies by country. One example is Belgium, brothels are illegal, but in practice they are tolerated, operate quite openly, and in some parts of the country the situation is similar with that from neighboring Netherlands.

Prostitution is illegal in most of the ex-communist countries of Eastern Europe. Here prostitution was outlawed by the former communist regimes and these countries chose to keep it illegal even after the fall of the communists.

• Prostitution in Andorra

• Prostitution in Austria

• Prostitution in Belarus

• Prostitution in the Czech Republic

• Prostitution in Denmark

• Prostitution in Estonia

• Prostitution in France

• Prostitution in Germany

• Prostitution in Hungary

• Prostitution in Iceland

• Prostitution in the Republic of Ireland

• Prostitution in Italy

• Prostitution in Lithuania

• Prostitution in the Netherlands

• Prostitution in Portugal

• Prostitution in Russia

• Prostitution in Sweden

• Prostitution in Spain

• Prostitution in Turkey

• Prostitution in Ukraine

• Prostitution in the United Kingdom

North America

• Prostitution in Belize

• Prostitution in Canada

• Prostitution in Costa Rica

• Prostitution in Cuba

• Prostitution in the Dominican Republic

• Prostitution in El Salvador

• Prostitution in Guatemala

• Prostitution in Haiti

• Prostitution in Honduras

• Prostitution in Jamaica

• Prostitution in Mexico

• Prostitution in Nicaragua

• Prostitution in Panama

• Prostitution in Trinidad and Tobago

United States

Prostitution laws in the United States are determined at the state level. The practice is illegal in all but one of its 50 states.

Nevada is the only US state which allows some legal prostitution in some of its counties. Currently 8 out of Nevada's 16 counties have active brothels. Prostitution outside these brothels is illegal throughout the state; prostitution is illegal in the major metropolitan areas (Las Vegas, Reno, and Carson City). Prostitution is heavily regulated by the state of Nevada. See Prostitution in Nevada.

Oceania

• Prostitution in Australia

• Prostitution in New Zealand

South America

• Prostitution in Argentina

• Prostitution in Bolivia

• Prostitution in Brazil

• Prostitution in Chile

• Prostitution in Colombia

• Prostitution in Ecuador

• Prostitution in Guyana

• Prostitution in Paraguay

• Prostitution in Peru

• Prostitution in Suriname

• Prostitution in Uruguay

• Prostitution in Venezuela

Prostitution in Africa

Prostitution in Africa is illegal in most countries. Nevertheless, it is frequently common in practice, driven by the widespread poverty in many sub-Saharan African countries, and is one of the drivers for the prevalence of AIDS in Africa. Social breakdown caused by civil war or economic collapse in several African countries has caused further increases in the rate of prostitution in those countries.

Transactional sexual relationships are particularly common in sub-Saharan Africa, where they often involve relationships between older men and younger women or girls. In many cases, the woman in a transactional sexual relationship may remain faithful to her boyfriend, while he may have multiple sexual partners. In other cases, the woman may have multiple partners. In both of these cases, transactional sex presents an increased risk of HIV infection. As a result, transactional sex is a factor involved in the spread of AIDS in Africa.

Cameroon

Prostitution in Cameroon is illegal but attracts sex tourism from the west especially for child prostitution. The Cameroonian government has attempted to stop this trade by agreeing to multi-laterial agreements such as charters against sex tourism, like signing up with the Universal Federation of Travels Agents Associations (UFTAA).

Côte d'Ivoire

In Côte d'Ivoire prostitution itself (exchanging sex for money) is legal, but associated activities such as soliciting, pandering or running brothels are illegal. The civil war has left many women in need for wages, so some have resorted to prostitution, as there is high unemployment.

Ethiopia

Prostitution in Ethiopia is legal, but procuring (operating brothels, benefiting from prostitution, etc.) is illegal according to Article 634 of the Ethiopian Penal Code, as revised May 2005. Many feel it has contributed to the increased incidence of AIDS.

The Gambia

Prostitution in The Gambia is illegal and highly a social taboo as the country attracts many sex tourists who are interested in child sex tourism.

Ghana

Prostitution in Ghana is illegal.

Liberia

Prostitution is illegal in Liberia Like its neighbor, Sierra Leone, child prostitution has seen an increase in the aftermath of a civil war.

Morocco

Prostitution has been illegal in Morocco since the 1970s, but is widespread and legalisation is under discussion. Morocco is a one of the premier destinations for child sex tourism in Africa. The country is considered a tier 2. Many children are vulnerable as adoption laws in Morocco are very rigid and difficult which is made worse if the child is female due to the preference for boys. Due to the fact that Morocco has an increasing reputation for attracting foreign pedophiles Morocco has signed various international treaties to deal with the problem. Male prostitution is known but that as stigmatised. Health services for Moroccan sex workers include OPALS.

Senegal

Prostitution in Senegal is legal and regulated. Prostitutes must be at least 21 years of age, register with the police, carry a valid sanitary card, and test negative for sexually transmitted infections. NGOs working with prostitutes claim that the police abuses prostitutes. .

Sierra Leone

Since the end of the ten-year civil war in Sierra Leone, there has been an increase in child prostitution, especially among children who are struggling to survive. This is happening in spite of the fact that prostitution is illegal in the country.

Zambia

Prostitution in Zambia is illegal but Zambia has a huge problem relating to child prostitution. There is a mistaken belief having intercourse with a virgin will cure AIDS.

Zimbabwe

Prostitution in Zimbabwe is illegal but since the increase of famine in the country prostitution has thrived.

Cameroon

• Protecting the "unattached" girls of Cameroon

• Cameroon tackles sex tourism

• Living With Bandits, Feymen And Prostitutes In Bamenda

• Selling to Survive in Cameroon

Côte d'Ivoire

• Ivory Coast's Prostitutes Learn to Live with AIDS

• Young West African Girls Face Perils of Prostitution, Trafficking

• IVORY COAST: War, Prostitution Fuel AIDS Epidemic in Ivory Coast

Ethiopia

• Ethiopian girls driven to prostitution

• ETHIOPIA: Child prostitution on the rise, report says

The Gambia

• Gambia retrains "bumsters" to shake sex tourism tag

• Child sex tourism and exploitation increasing in The Gambia

• Bureau of International Labor Affairs

• Globalization of sex trade

• European paedophiles flock to Gambian 'Smiling Coast'

• Gambia: High Spate of Prostitution in The Muslim Country

Ghana

• The International Encyclopedia of Sexuality

• Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation

• Child Prostitution The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

• Legalizing prostitution – Morality vrs. Reality

• Poverty in Ghana driving children into prostitution

• HIV–AIDS is not an excuse to legalise prostitution in Ghana

• Sex girls try to score with footie fans

• GHANA: Profile of a child sex worker

Liberia

• Aid staff abusing Liberian children, charity says

• U.N. Faces More Accusations of Sexual Misconduct

• UN Report

Morocco

• Saudi Ban Moroccan Women to perform hajj

• On Moroccan Women and Prostitution

• Concern Over Prostitution

Nigeria

• Nigerian college students: HIV knowledge, perceived susceptibility for HIV and sexual behaviors

• A job to die for

• Nigeria Is Spared the Worst of AIDS, but Experts Wonder for How Long

• Deaths in the desert (2)

Senegal

• Senegal: Prostitution - Frontline of the War to Contain HIV

• AIDS is no problem among Senegal's legal prostitutes

• SENEGAL'S SUCCESS

• Senegal's aggressive AIDS strategy saves thousands from infection

• "Senegal: Prostitution - Frontline of the War to Contain HIV". allAfrica.com. 2001-06-29. Retrieved 2010-01-25.

Zimbabwe

• Harare elite driven into prostitution

• Zimbabwe clamps down on male hookers

• Teachers sell sex to buy food as Mugabe cronies get richer

Sierra Leone

• Sierra Leone's Children are Pushed onto Streets

• Young West African Girls Face Perils of Prostitution, Trafficking

• Sierra Leone's forgotten 'bush wives'

• Prostitution and Lesbianism among Teenagers in Sierra Leone

Zambia

• Zambia: Sex-tourism booms

• Child predators warned

• sex workers look to their neighbour for business

Prostitution in Asia

The legality of prostitution in Asia varies by country. In Asia, the main characteristic of the region is the very big discrepancy between the laws which exist on the books and what occurs in practice. For example, in Thailand prostitution is illegal, but in practice it is tolerated and regulated, and the country is a destination for sex tourism. Such situations are common in many Asian countries. In these countries there is a very strong double standard: while it is considered acceptable for men to use the services of the prostitutes, the prostitutes themselves are stigmatized by the whole society, as "respectable" women are expected to refrain from sexual activity until marriage.

Child prostitution is a serious problem in this region. Past surveys indicate that 30 to 35 percent of all prostitutes in the Mekong sub-region of Southeast Asia are between 12 and 17 years of age.

• Prostitution in Afghanistan

• Prostitution in Bangladesh

• Prostitution in Brunei

• Prostitution in Burma

• Prostitution in Cambodia

• Prostitution in the People's Republic of China

• Prostitution in Egypt

• Prostitution in Hong Kong

• Prostitution in India

• Prostitution in Indonesia

• Prostitution in Iran

• Prostitution in Iraq

• Prostitution in Israel

• Prostitution in Japan

• Prostitution in North Korea

• Prostitution in South Korea

• Prostitution in Kuwait

• Prostitution in Lebanon

• Prostitution in Malaysia

• Prostitution in Nepal

• Prostitution in Oman

• Prostitution in Pakistan

• Prostitution in Palestine

• Prostitution in the Philippines

• Prostitution in Qatar

• Prostitution in Russia

• Prostitution in Saudi Arabia

• Prostitution in Singapore

• Prostitution in Sri Lanka

• Prostitution in Syria

• Prostitution in Taiwan

• Prostitution in Thailand

• Prostitution in Turkey

• Prostitution in the United Arab Emirates

• Prostitution in Vietnam

• Prostitution in Yemen

Prostitution in Europe

The legality of prostitution in Europe varies by country. Some countries outlaw the act of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for money, while others allow prostitution itself, but prohibit most forms of procuring (such as operating brothels, facilitating the prostitution of another, deriving financial gain from the prostitution of another, soliciting/loitering, etc.).

In eight European countries (Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey, Hungary and Latvia) prostitution is legal and regulated.

The degree of enforcement of the anti-prostitution laws vary by country, by region and by city. In many places there is a big discrepancy between the laws which exist on the books and what happens in practice.

Depending on the country, various prostitution related activities may be prohibited (where a specific law forbids such activity), decriminalized (where there is no specific law either forbidding or allowing and regulating the activity), or regulated (where a specific law explicitly allows and regulates the activity if certain conditions are met). Activities which are subject to the prostitution laws include: selling and buying sexual services, soliciting in public places, running brothels, deriving financial gain from the prostitution of another, offering premises to be used for prostitution etc. Often the prostitution laws are not clear cut and are subject to interpretation, leading to many legal grey areas. While the policy regarding adult prostituting differs by country, child prostitution is illegal throughout Europe. Similarly, human trafficking, forced prostitution and other abusive activities are also prohibited.

The legal and social treatment of prostitution differs widely by country.

Very liberal prostitution policies exist in the Netherlands and Germany, and these countries are major destinations for international sex tourism. Amsterdam's prostitution windows are (in)famous all over the world.

In Sweden, Norway, and Iceland it is illegal to pay for sex, but not to be a prostitute (the client commits a crime, but not the prostitute).

In Eastern Europe, the anti-prostitution laws target the prostitutes, because in these countries prostitution is condemned from a moral\conservative viewpoint.

Other countries which have restrictive prostitution policies and officially affirm an anti-prostitution stance are the UK, Ireland and France.

Among countries where prostitution is not officially and legally regulated and recognized as a job, laissez-faire and tolerant attitudes exist in Spain, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

Prostitution in Albania

Prostitution in Albania is illegal, but the country is a major exporter of human trafficking. Nearly all of the prostitutes in Albania come from Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria and are bought to Albania as it is seen as a gateway to Europe, (Italy)

Prostitution in Andorra

Prostitution in Andorra is illegal.

Prostitution in Armenia

Prostitution itself is not illegal, but operating brothels and other forms of procuring are prohibited. Operating a brothel and engaging in other forms of pimping are punishable by one to 10 years imprisonment.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union poverty has increased and many women and children are resorting to the sex trade.

Prostitution in Austria

This is an example of regulated prostitution. Prostitution is legal but restricted by several regulations. Most prostitutes are migrants, mainly from the former Eastern Bloc countries.

Prostitution in Azerbaijan

Prostitution in Azerbaijan is illegal. Many Russian women have migrated from Azerbaijan to work in the sex trade in other countries. Some of these may have been trafficked though the exact figures are uncertain

Prostitution in Belarus

Prostitution is illegal in Belarus. However prostitution is present in the country, particularly in regions outside the main cities and in hotels.

Prostitution in Belgium

Prostitution itself is legal in Belgium, but the law prohibits operating brothels and other forms of pimping or assisting immigration for the purpose of prostitution. However, in practice enforcement can be lax and "unofficial" brothels are tolerated (for example in Antwerp). Human trafficking or exploiting individuals for financial gain is punishable for a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. A recent report by RiskMonitor foundation found that 70% of the prostitutes who work in Belgium are from Bulgaria. Belgium is listed by the UNODC as a top destination for victims of human trafficking. Many sex workers organisations feel that the present grey area in which prostitution operates leaves sex workers vulnerable to exploitation.

Prostitution in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Prostitution is illegal. The law treats procuring as a major crime. Under the law, trafficking is a state level crime that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Prostitution in Bulgaria

Prostitution itself is not illegal, but organized prostitution (brothels, prostitution rings or other forms of procuring) is prohibited. Because of poor socioeconomic conditions, a high number of Romani women were involved in prostitution.

It originally gained a reputation as a transit for human trafficking, and now it has gained a reputation for being a destination for the sex trade to take place.

The Bulgarian government is stepping up its efforts to eradicate human trafficking. The sex trade is a major money maker for Bulgarian criminals. The Bulgarian government did consider fully legalizing and regulating prostitution.

Prostitution in Croatia

Prostitution in Croatia is illegal, but like in many other Southeast European countries, the problem of human trafficking for the purposes of sex is big in Croatia. However, according the U.S. State Department, Croatia is a tier 1 country, actively working to prevent the sex trade.

Prostitution in Cyprus

The law does not prohibit prostitution itself, but operating brothels, organizing prostitution rings, living off the profits of prostitution, encouraging prostitution or forcing a person to engage in prostitution are illegal activities. The law regulating the hiring of women at nightclubs and cabarets provides penalties for women and employers who "partially or completely earn a living from prostitution." In July 2006 the Nicosia District Court ordered the first prostitution-related imprisonment in the area administered by Turkish Cypriots. After pleading no contest to the charges, the manager of Mexico nightclub, Mesut Kilicarslan, was sentenced to 15 days in prison for encouraging and profiting from prostitution. By year's end three more suspects were sentenced to imprisonment for encouraging and profiting from prostitution.

Cyprus has been criticized by the US State Department for failing to control the follow of illegal immigrants and legal to be involved in forced prostitution. Cyprus has gained a reputation for being a major transit point for people smugglers to transport women for the purposes of prostitution. International observers have criticized the government for its lack of action to prevent forced prostitution. The law of Cyprus forbids forced (but not voluntary) prostitution. However, its believed that many immigrants are hired as bar maids and coerced into prostitution by this method.

Prostitution in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic prostitution is not illegal, but brothels or other forms of procuring are prohibited. The enforcement of these laws is lax and prostitution and other activities which surround it are very common in the country.

Ever since the Czechoslovakian Velvet Revolution (1989) led to the creation of the two independent states Czech Republic and Slovakia, prostitution has been flourishing, and has contributed its share to the region's booming tourist economy. It is widespread in Prague and areas near the Republic's western borders with Germany and Austria. In 2002, the Czech Statistical Bureau estimated the trade to be worth six billion crowns ($217 million) a year.

Prostitution in Denmark

In Denmark, prostitution itself is legal, but operating brothels and other forms of pimping are illegal activities.

Prostitution in Estonia

Prostitution itself is legal, but organized prostitution is illegal.

Prostitution in Finland

Prostitution itself is legal in Finland (soliciting in a public place is illegal), but organized prostitution (operating a brothel or a prostitution ring and other forms of pimping) is illegal. In June 2006, parliament voted by 158 to 15 with four abstentions to approve a bill which outlaws the buying of sexual services from prostitutes if it is linked to human trafficking.

According to a recent TAMPEP study, 69% of prostitutes are foreigners.

Prostitution is generally limited to private apartments and nightclubs in larger cities, there is little "visible" prostitution.

Prostitution in France

Prostitution itself is not illegal in France, but organized prostitution (brothels, prostitution rings or other forms of pimping) is prohibited. Public solicitation is also illegal.

Prostitution in Georgia

In Georgia, prostitution is illegal, but widespread, particularly in Tbilisi. Many NGO's attribute this to the harsh economic conditions according to the US State Department. Many women from Georgia are of Human Trafficking operations to or from countries. Women who are forced to be prostitutes are in Georgia are often from Asia and neighboring European countries.

In 2006 the country incorporated into its domestic law the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. The punishment for human trafficking in Georgia is 15 years. There is also a special law to protect families of Georgian women who fear reprisals from gang masters of women who refuse to forced into prostitution abroad.

Prostitution in Germany

Prostitution is legal and regulated in Germany. In 2002, the government changed the law in an effort to improve the legal situation of prostitutes. However, the social stigmatization of prostitutes persists, forcing most prostitutes to lead a double life. Authorities consider the common exploitation of women from Eastern Europe to be the main problem associated with the occupation. Germany is listed by the UNODC as a top destination for victims of human trafficking.

Prostitution in Greece

Prostitution is legal and regulated in Greece. Greek authorities decided to implement a 1999 law which stipulates that all brothels must have permits. Persons engaged in prostitution must register at the local prefecture and carry a medical card which is updated every two weeks. It is estimated that fewer than 1,000 women are legally employed as prostitutes and approximately 20,000 women, most of foreign origin, are engaged in illegal prostitution. Street prostitution is dominated by Albanian refugees and immigrants. According to NGO estimates, there are 13,000-14,000 trafficking victims in the country at any given time. Major countries of origin for trafficking victims include Nigeria, Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Albania, Moldova, Romania, and Belarus.

Prostitution in Hungary

Prostitution is legal and regulated in Hungary (it has been legalized and regulated by the government in 1999). Under the law, prostitutes are basically professionals who engage in sexual activities in exchange for money. The government allows this activity as long as they pay taxes and keep legal documents.

Prostitution in Iceland

Paying for sex is illegal in Iceland (the client commits a crime but not the prostitute).

Opinion polls have shown that up to 70% of the population supports banning the purchase of sexual services.

Prostitution in Ireland

Prostitution itself is not illegal in the Republic of Ireland, but the law criminalises many activities associated with it (solicitation in a public place, operating a brothel or other forms of pimping). However, female escort prostitution is widespread. Swedish type criminalizing legislation of the sex customer is being considered.

Prostitution in Italy

In Italy, prostitution itself is not illegal, but the law prohibits organized prostitution (brothels, prostitution rings or similar commercial enterprises and other forms of pimping). In 2008 the Government approved a law proposal by one of its ministry to forbid street prostitution but the proposal has never been converted into law so street prostitution is still legal in Italy and is very common. Italy is listed by the UNDOC as a top destination for victims of human trafficking.

Prostitution in Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan prostitution itself is not illegal, but acts facilitating prostitution, such as operating a brothel or prostitution ring, are illegal. Forced prostitution and prostitution connected to organized crime are prohibited. Prostitution is a serious problem. NGOs reported that criminal prostitution rings often included local law enforcement officials.

Prostitution in Latvia

Prostitution is legal and regulated in Latvia. Prostitutes must register, must undergo monthly health checks and must carry a health card; if they fail to do so they can be penalized. Latvia is a popular destination for sex tourism. Although prostitution is regulated in Latvia, brothels and other forms of procuring are illegal. According to the law "Any activity of the third person which promotes prostitution is prohibited" and "Persons are prohibited to join in groups in order to offer and provide sexual services..." Latvia is a destination country for women trafficked from Belgium and Portugal and a source country for women trafficked to Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Greece, Ireland, and Japan; Latvian teenage girls are also trafficked within the country. The director of The Resource Center for Women said that a lack of political will to meaningfully address issues of human trafficking, coupled with the country's debilitating economic problems and soaring unemployment levels, contribute to the proliferation of human trafficking in the country.

Prostitution in Liechtenstein

Prostitution in Liechtenstein is illegal but is tolerated by the police as long as it is not street prostitution.

Prostitution in Lithuania

Prostitution in Lithuania is illegal, but it is common. The penalty for prostitution is a fine of $120 to $200 (300 to 500 litas) for a single offense and up to $400 (1,000 litas) for repeat offenses.

Prostitution in Luxembourg

Prostitution itself is legal in Luxembourg, but activities associated with organized prostitution, such as profiting from (operating brothels and prostitution rings) or aiding prostitution are illegal. Human trafficking incures severe penalties.

Prostitution in Malta

Prostitution itself is not illegal, but certain activities connected with it, such as running a brothel and loitering, are. Certain offences are punishable by sentences of up to two years in prison.

In March 2008, police and the Ministry for Social Policy signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize a screening process for all arrested persons engaged in prostitution to determine whether they were victims of trafficking or other abuses. The law provides punishments of up to 6 years for involving minors in prostitution.

Prostitution in Moldova

Prostitution in Moldova is illegal, but because it is Europe's poorest country it is a major exporter of human trafficking for the purpose of the sex trade. Human traffickers prey most on the women from the poor villages. Women and children are trafficked for sexual exploitation to Turkey, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Russia, Cyprus, Greece, Albania, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, France, Italy, and Portugal. The authorities are trying to lead awareness among the population about the extent of this problem. During the last years, the authorities have launched numerous information campaigns, including one which consisted of billboards in the streets of the capital, Chisinau, depicting a girl gripped in a huge clenched fist, being exchanged for dollars, which read: "You are not for sale".

Prostitution in the Netherlands

Prostitution is legal and regulated in the Netherlands, and it is common. Netherlands has one of the most liberal prostitution policies in the world, and, as such, it attracts sex tourists from many European countries and from the USA.

Netherlands is listed by the UNODC as a top destination for victims of human trafficking. Out of all Amsterdam's prostitutes, more than 75% are from Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia, according to a former prostitute who produced a report about the sex trade in Amsterdam.

Prostitution in Norway

Paying for sex is illegal (the client commits a crime, but not the prostitute). This law prohibiting the buying of sexual services (sexkjøpsloven) came into effect on January 1, 2009, following the passing of new legislation by the Storting in November 2008.

Prostitution in Poland

In Poland prostitution is legal, but operating brothels or other forms of pimping or coercive prostitution and prostitution of minors are prohibited.

Prostitution in Portugal

In Portugal prostitution itself is not illegal, but organized prostitution (brothels, prostitution rings and other forms of pimping) is prohibited. Forced prostitution and human trafficking are also illegal. By the mid-2000s, the number of female prostitutes was estimated at 28,000, at least 50% were foreigners.

Prostitution in the Republic of Macedonia

Prostitution in the Republic of Macedonia is illegal, but flourishes in the Balkans. The country is a major transit point for prostitution to the west. The Macedonian government is trying to clamp down on prostitution. The trafficking of women for sex is worth billions in Macedonia and is considered to be run primarily by Albanian gangsters.

Prostitution in Romania

Prostitution is illegal in Romania. The government had considered legalizing and regulating it (in 2007). The Association for the Promotion of Women in Romania opposes legalized prostitution, as they view prostitution as "another form of violence against women and girls". Also, the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) often protests against prostitution.

Romania is among the 11 countries listed by the United Nations as the biggest sources of human trafficking, based on reported numbers of victims. Every year thousands of women and girls, some as young as 13, are kidnapped or lured by promises of well-paid jobs or marriage and sold to gangs who lock them up in night clubs and brothels or force them to work on the streets. Homeless children in Romania have increasingly been trafficked under false pretenses and forced into prostitution in Berlin and Hamburg, Germany and Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Prostitution in Russia

Prostitution is an administrative, but not criminal offence in Russia (such as, for example, drinking beer in a public place or walking nude on the street). The maximum punishment is a fine up to 2000 rubles; however, organizing prostitution or engaging somebody into prostitution is punishable by a prison term.

Prostitution in Serbia

Prostitution in Serbia is illegal and can incur a prison sentence of between 5 and 10 years. Prostitution is a major problem in Kosovo. The police are unwilling to consider legalising it despite demands from sex workers.

Prostitution in Slovakia

Prostitution itself is not illegal, but operating brothels and other activities related to prostitution are prohibited.

Prostitution in Slovenia

Prostitution in Slovenia was decriminalised from 2003.

Prostitution in Spain

Prostitution itself is not illegal in Spain. However pimping is. Owning an establishment where prostitution takes place is not illegal, provided that the owner neither derives financial gain from prostitution nor hires any person for the purposes of selling sex because prostitution is not considered a job, and has no legal recognition. Municipalities vary in their approach to regulating prostitution, both indoor and outdoor.

Prostitution in Sweden

Paying for sex is illegal (the client commits a crime, but not the prostitute). The Sex Purchase Act (Sexköpslagen), which makes it illegal to pay for sex but not to be a prostitute, was adopted in 1999 and at that time it was unique. Since then a similar law has been adopted by Norway and Iceland.

The rationale underpinning the law was the view that prostitution was a form of violence against women so the crime consists in the customer paying for sex, not in the prostitute selling sexual services. This rationale sees the seller of sex as the weaker and exploited partner in the exchange.

Prostitution in Switzerland

Prostitution in Switzerland is legal and regulated. Licensed brothels, typically with a reception and leading to several studio apartments, are available. Street prostitution is illegal, except in specially designated areas in the major cities. Many prostitutes operate using newspaper advertisements, mobile phones and secondary rented apartments. It is legal to advertise for "massages" in Swiss tabloid newspapers. Swiss prostitutes pay VAT (value added tax) on their services and some accept credit cards. The majority of prostitutes are foreigners from Latin America, Eastern Europe or the Far East. In recent years the number of prostitutes has increased. The prostitution business often becomes violent, it can involve attacks, turf wars, gunfights and arson attacks on rivals' prostitution establishments.

The Police are installing sex boxes to protect prostitutes.

Prostitution in Turkey

In Turkey, prostitution is legal and regulated. Prostitutes must register and acquire an ID card stating the dates of their health checks. Also it is mandatory for registered prostitutes to have regular health checks for sexually transmitted diseases. The police are allowed to check the authenticity of registered prostitutes to determine whether they have been examined properly and to ensure they see the health authorities if they don't. Men cannot register under this regulation. Most sex workers, however, are unregistered, as local governments have made it policy not to issue new registrations. As a result most sex workers in Turkey are not registered sex workers, working in violation of the law. Turkey is listed by the UNODC as a top destination for victims of human trafficking.

Prostitution in Ukraine

Prostitution is illegal in Ukraine, but widespread and largely ignored by the government. Sex tourism rose as the country attracted greater numbers of foreign tourists. Laws criminalizing organized prostitution and penalties for human trafficking have had little effect because many convicted traffickers often do not end up serving prison time.

Prostitution in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, prostitution itself is legal, but a number of related activities, including soliciting in a public place, kerb crawling, keeping a brothel, pimping and pandering, are outlawed.

The Policing and Crime Act 2009 makes it illegal to pay for sex with a prostitute who has been "subjected to force" and this is a strict liability offense (clients can be prosecuted even if they didn’t know the prostitute was forced).

Prostitution in the United States

Prostitution in the United States is illegal except in some small rural communities in Nevada. In the United States, each state has the power to regulate prostitution in that state. Only in parts of Nevada is prostitution legal. In all other states prostitution is usually classified as a misdemeanor.

Nevada allows licensed brothels only in some rural counties. Only 8 counties have active brothels. All forms of prostitution are illegal in Clark County (which contains Las Vegas and its metropolitan area), Washoe County (which contains Reno), Carson City, Douglas County, and Lincoln County. The other counties allow brothels, but some of these counties currently have no active brothels.

Prostitution is considered by some US governments to be a public order crime, a crime that disrupts the order of a community. It was at one time considered to be a vagrancy crime.

As with other countries, prostitution in the United States can be divided into three broad categories: street prostitution, brothel prostitution, and escort prostitution.

History

18th century

Some of the women in the American Revolution who followed the Continental Army served the soldiers and officers as sexual partners. Prostitutes were a worrisome presence to army leadership, particularly because of the possible spread of venereal diseases. Some, however, encouraged the presence of prostitutes to keep troop morale high.

19th century

In the 19th century, parlor house brothels catered to upper class clientele, while bawdy houses catered to the lower class. At concert saloons, men could eat, listen to music, watch a fight, or pay women for sex. Over 200 brothels existed in lower Manhattan. Prostitution was illegal under the vagrancy laws, but was not well-enforced by police and city officials, who were bribed by brothel owners and madams. Attempts to regulate prostitution were struck down on grounds that it is against the public good. Seventy-five percent of New York men had some type of sexually transmitted disease.

The gold rush profits of the 1840s to 1900 attracted gambling, crime, saloons, and prostitution to the mining towns of the wild west. Widespread media coverage of prostitution occurred in 1836, when famous courtesan Helen Jewett was murdered, allegedly by one of her customers. The Lorette ordinance of 1857 prohibited prostitution on the first floor of buildings in New Orleans. Nevertheless, prostitution continued to grow rapidly in the US, becoming a 6.3 million-dollar business in 1858, more than the shipping and brewing industries combined.

By the US Civil War, Pennsylvania Avenue had become a disreputable slum known as Murder Bay, home to an extensive criminal underclass and numerous brothels. So many prostitutes took up residence there to serve the needs of General Joseph Hooker's Army of the Potomac that the area became known as "Hooker's Division." Two blocks between Pennsylvania and Missouri Avenues became home to such expensive brothels that it was known as "Marble Alley."

In 1873, Anthony Comstock created the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, an institution dedicated to supervising the morality of the public. Comstock successfully influenced the United States Congress to pass the Comstock Law, which made illegal the delivery or transport of "obscene, lewd, or lascivious" material and birth control information. In 1875, Congress passed the Page Act of 1875 that made it illegal to transport women into the nation to be used as prostitutes.

In 1881, the Bird Cage Theatre opened in Tombstone, Arizona. It included a brothel in the basement and 14 cribs suspended from the ceiling, called cages. Famous men such as Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson, Diamond Jim Brady, and George Hearst frequented the establishment.

In the late 19th century, newspapers reported that 65,000 white slaves existed. Around 1890, the term "red-light district" was first recorded in the United States. From 1890 to 1982, the Dumas Brothel in Montana was America’s longest-running house of prostitution.

New Orleans city alderman Sidney Story wrote an ordinance in 1897 to regulate and limit prostitution to one small area of the city, "The District", where all prostitutes in New Orleans must live and work. The District, or Storyville, became the most famous area for prostitution in the nation. Storyville at its peak had some 1500 prostitutes and 200 brothels.

20th century

Legal measures

In 1908, The Bureau of Investigation (BOI) was founded by the government to investigate "white slavery" by interviewing brothel employees to find out if they had been kidnapped. Out of 1106 prostitutes interviewed in one city, six said they were victims of white slavery. (In 1935, the BOI became the FBI.) The White-Slave Traffic Act (Mann Act) of 1910 prohibited so-called white slavery. It also banned the interstate transport of females for “immoral purposes”. Its primary stated intent was to address prostitution and immorality. The Supreme Court later included consensual debauchery, adultery, and polygamy under “immoral purposes”.

In 1918, the Chamberlain-Kahn Act gave the government the power to quarantine any woman suspected of having a Sexually transmitted disease (STD). A medical examination was required, and if it revealed an STD, this discovery could constitute proof of prostitution. The purpose of this law was to prevent the spread of venereal diseases among U.S. soldiers. During World War I, Storyville was shut down to prevent VD transmission to soldiers in nearby army and navy camps.

Mortensen vs. United States, in 1944, ruled that prostitutes could travel across state lines, if the purpose of travel was not for prostitution.