Why is prostitution illegal in the US when it's "not really" illegal?

[Anonymous]

Escorts advertise openly, and they say the $ is for their time, and anything that happens is purely between consenting adults.. Please... It's exchanging money for sex. What sort of bizarre technicality is this? And some of these people spend so much $ on this. It's sick. Spend that money on dating sites or matchmaking services and actually meet someone in a healthy way... Or donate the money to people who REALLY need it.

[jennifer_bloom]

Prostitution might be considered immoral but that's not why it's illegal. It's illegal because when it was previously legal, over 50% of men in New York were HIV positive. Prostitution is seen as a health hazard to society and that is the main reason it's banned. It kills people by getting them infected with STD's that shorten their life and burden the health care system with billions of tax payers dollars devoted to new medical problems doctors have to solve. That is why it's banned.

Even HIV positive people are a threat to other HIV people because when they sleep with each other the virus can mutate and produce a medically resistant variant of HIV that is harder to treat or cure by drugs so even HIV positive people should be banned from sleeping with other HIV people who work as prostitutes or are casually found in those circles.

[Asker]

where on earth did you get that stat from? I think that’s ridiculously insane. About 0.3% of the US has HIV.

[Ozanne]

The exchange of sex for money is decidedly unlawful to protect prostitutes themselves and to decrease the spread of STDs. However, escort businesses branding themselves as exchanging money for companionship is not illegal because there is no obligation for sex. It's a taxed business that offers some security for the workers and clients. If the two choose to have sex, it's on them, not because of what the business states. The same can be said about strip clubs and their private rooms. There is a blurred line between intention and expectation. No worker is obligated to perform sexual acts on the clients, and no client can demand it in exchange for payment.

[Asker]

OK, but let’s be honest, if you’re shelling out and they don’t have sex you’re gonna get a bad review so it’s pretty much a given.. and you’re definitely not gonna be able to spend time with that person for free and have sex, barring some extreme circumstances where they actually like you

[Ozanne]

Your question was why is prostitution illegal while escort services are not, and you got your answer. It doesn't matter what sort of reviews people leave a business. As long as they can operate as a business offering companionship, then they are able to get a license and operate legally. Often times, those services also protect the women with safe sex options, rooms on site where they can have access to help. And in the end, if the guy simply wants her company and nothing more, he's able to have that without obligation. These sorts of things aren't done with a girl on the street with a pimp.

It's no different than illegal street drugs and medicinal dispensaries. One is regulated, while one is--"good luck with that because you're on your own". That's how I'm answering your question. You wanted to know why, there you have it.

[DarkLegacy]

The idea is to punish the guy for buying but not the female for selling, sexist feminist shit. Im not 100% familiar with the USA law on this but here in the UK it is a crime to sell yourself on the street or to run a premises as a brothel. It is legal in some European countries.

[Anonymous]

Dating or matchmaking cost even more than the escort route
Give it it people who need it that's charity and I'm not about that without making my own money from the deal

[Anonymous]

Legalizing it and bringing it out into the open where it could be regulated would make it safer for all involved and there wouldn’t be any legal gray areas to navigate. No one should go to jail for selling sex. You really can’t effectively enforce morality. Laws prohibiting weed and gambling are crumbling, prostitution is next.

[ScisorsAndRaisins]

It makes my blood boil when crazy loons are killing people in the streets, but the cops are worried about victimless crimes like prostitution.

[Anonymous]

If people want to pay to get laid that's their business. What do you care?

[OddBeMe]

Religion.