Decriminalization of sex work

Common card · No. 355752

Sex work, the consensual provision of sexual services for money or goods, is criminalized in most countries. Decriminalization is distinct from legalization (also known as the "regulationist" approach). Advocates of decriminalization argue that removing the criminal sanctions surrounding sex work creates a safer environment for sex workers, and that it helps fight sex trafficking. Opponents of decriminalization argue that it will not prevent trafficking (or even increase trafficking) and could put sex workers at greater risk. Evidence from New Zealand, Belgium, and several Australian states, which have implemented this legal model) demonstrates that decriminalization is an evidence-based harm reduction approach. Organizations including the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the World Health Organization (WHO), Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the medical journal The Lancet have called on countries to decriminalize sex...

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