Prostitution by region
{{Short description|None}}
{{See also|Category:Prostitution by country|Prostitution law}}
This is an overview of prostitution by region.
Africa
{{Main|Prostitution in Africa}}
[[Image:Prostitution in Africa2.svg|thumb|right|200px| {{legend|#00ffff|Decriminalization - No criminal penalties for prostitution}}
{{legend|#008000|Legalization - prostitution legal and regulated}}
{{legend|#336699|Abolitionism - prostitution is legal, but organized activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal; prostitution is not regulated}}
{{legend|#ff7f00|Neo-abolitionism - illegal to buy sex and for 3rd party involvement, legal to sell sex}}
{{legend|#FF0000|Prohibitionism - prostitution illegal}}
{{legend|#585858|Legality varies with local laws}}]]
Prostitution is illegal in the majority of African countries. HIV/AIDS infection rates are particularly high among African sex workers.{{cite web|title=Sex Workers, Prostitution, HIV and AIDS|url=http://www.avert.org/prostitution-aids.htm|date=2015-07-20}}
Nevertheless, it is common, driven by the widespread poverty in many sub-Saharan African countries,[http://www.welthungerhilfe.de/799.html Increasing prostitution driven by poverty in drought-stricken – Welthungerhilfe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103111147/http://www.welthungerhilfe.de/799.html |date=2007-01-03 }}. Welthungerhilfe.de. Retrieved on 2012-01-11. and is one of the drivers for the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Africa.[http://www.avert.org/prostitution-aids.htm Sex Workers, Prostitution and AIDS]. Avert.org. Retrieved on 2012-01-11. 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.
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.
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! Prostitution in African areas |
| Sovereign states
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Americas
{{main|Prostitution in the Americas}}
Image:Prostitution in North America2.svg
Image:Prostitution in CentralAmerica-Caribbean.svg
Image:Prostitution in South America2.svg
Legality of prostitution in the Americas varies by country. Most countries only legalized prostitution, with the act of exchanging money for sexual services legal. The level of enforcement varies by country.
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! Prostitution in North American areas |
| Sovereign states
{{flatlist|indent=1| }} Dependencies and other territories {{flatlist|indent=1| |
| Prostitution in Central American areas |
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| Prostitution in Caribbean areas |
| Sovereign states
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| Prostitution in South American areas |
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Asia
{{Main|Prostitution in Asia}}
[[Image:Prostitution in Asia2.svg|thumb|200px| {{legend|#00ffff|Decriminalization - No criminal penalties for prostitution}}
{{legend|#008000|Legalization - prostitution legal and regulated}}
{{legend|#336699|Abolitionism - prostitution is legal, but organized activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal; prostitution is not regulated}}
{{legend|#ff7f00|Neo-abolitionism - illegal to buy sex and for 3rd party involvement, legal to sell sex}}
{{legend|#FF0000|Prohibitionism - prostitution illegal}}
{{legend|#585858|Legality varies with local laws}}]]
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,[https://web.archive.org/web/20090226174514/http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/eap/119058.htm 2008 Human Rights Report: Thailand]. State.gov (2009-02-25). Retrieved on 2012-01-11. 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 Japan, prostitution is legal{{cite web|last=Hongo|first=Jun|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080527i1.html |title=Law bends over backward to allow 'fuzoku'|publisher=japantimes.co.jp|access-date=2015-08-18}} with the exception of heterosexual, vaginal intercourse. Advertisements that detail what each individual prostitute will do (oral sex, anal sex, etc.) are a common sight in the country, although many prostitutes disregard the law.
In India, prostitution is legal only if carried out in the private residence of a prostitute or others.{{cite web|url=http://wcd.nic.in/act/itpa1956.htm |title=The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956|website=wcd.nic.in |access-date=28 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502184617/http://wcd.nic.in/act/itpa1956.htm |archive-date=2 May 2015 }}
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! Prostitution in Asian areas |
| Sovereign states
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}} States with limited recognition {{flatlist|indent=1|
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Europe
{{Main|Prostitution in Europe}}
[[Image:Prostitution in Europe.svg|thumb|right|200px| {{legend|#00ffff|Decriminalization - no criminal penalties for prostitution}}
{{legend|#008000|Legalization - prostitution legal and regulated}}
{{legend|#336699|Abolitionism - prostitution is legal, but organized activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal; prostitution is not regulated}}
{{legend|#ff7f00|Neo-abolitionism - illegal to buy sex and for 3rd party involvement, legal to sell sex}}
{{legend|#FF0000|Prohibitionism - prostitution illegal}}
{{legend|#585858|Legality varies with local laws}}]]Compared to other continents, Europe has very diverse laws when it comes to prostitution. 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.). Prostitution remains illegal in most of the ex-communist countries of Eastern Europe.
In Belgium, sex work has been decriminalized since 1 June 2022.{{Cite web |title=LOI - WET |url=https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_loi/change_lg.pl?language=nl&la=N&cn=2022032101&table_name=wet |access-date=2022-06-25 |website=www.ejustice.just.fgov.be}} It is the first country in Europe and the second country in the world (after New Zealand) to decriminalize sex work.
In Sweden,[http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/swom/2005/00000013/00000001/art00006 Yvonne Svanström, “Through the Prism of Prostitution: Conceptions of Women and Sexuality in Sweden at Two Fins-de-Siècle”], Nordic Journal of Women’s Studies, 2005 (13): 48-58 Northern Ireland,{{Cite news|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-30805990|title = Human Trafficking Bill receives Royal Assent|date = 14 January 2015|work = BBC News|access-date = 27 January 2015}} Norway,{{cite encyclopedia|title=Prostitusjon|first1=John Christian |last1=Elden |first2=Sigurd|last2= Skirbekk|url=https://snl.no/prostitusjon |access-date=30 August 2014|encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon|editor-last=Henriksen|editor-first=Petter |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget|location=Oslo |language=no|year=2014}} Iceland,{{cite web |url=http://www.jafnretti.is/jafnretti/?D10cID=ReadNews&ID=523 |title=Jafnréttisstofa |publisher=Jafnretti.is |date=2009-04-21 |access-date=2010-03-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709124826/http://www.jafnretti.is/jafnretti/?D10cID=ReadNews&ID=523 |archive-date=2015-07-09 |url-status=dead }} and France[http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2016/04/06/prostitution-le-parlement-adopte-definitivement-la-penalisation-des-clients_4897216_3224.html Prostitution : le Parlement adopte définitivement la pénalisation des clients] 'Le Monde', accessed 7 April 2016 it is illegal to pay for sex (the client commits a crime, but not the prostitute).
In the United Kingdom, 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 did not know the prostitute was forced), but prostitution itself is legal.[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2009/ukpga_20090026_en_4#pt2-pb1-l1g14 Policing and Crime Act 2009]. Opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2012-01-11.[http://www.nodo50.org/Laura_Agustin/unworkable-ways-to-stop-trafficking-uk-law-on-exploitation-and-gain Policing and Crime | UK | Anti-trafficking | Exploitation | Sex Industry | The Naked Anthropologist]. Nodo50.org (2010-04-06). Retrieved on 2012-01-11.
In Germany prostitution is legal, as are brothels.
In Finland, Norway and Switzerland the right to sell sex is restricted based on citizenship. Aliens caught selling sex in Finland or Norway may be deported and of foreign citizens only EU citizens can get a Swiss prostitution license.
The enforcement of the anti-prostitution laws varies by country.
In Eastern Europe, prostitution was outlawed by the former communist regimes, and most of those countries chose to keep it illegal even after the fall of the Communists. It was only legalized by the former communist countries that joined the European Union (except for Lithuania and Croatia, where it remains illegal). It is even regulated in Hungary and Latvia.
Lithuania and Croatia remain the only countries in the European Union where women providing sexual services are punished. Croatia is the only one in which only a sex worker is criminalized, because Lithuania also criminalizes clients. In Sweden, France and Ireland only clients are punished, while in other countries both the sale and purchase of sexual services is legal.
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! Prostitution in European areas |
| Sovereign states
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}} States with limited recognition {{flatlist|indent=1| }} Dependencies and other territories {{flatlist|indent=1|
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Oceania
[[File:Prostitution_in_Oceania2.png|thumb|200px|{{legend|#00ffff|Decriminalization - No criminal penalties for prostitution}}
{{legend|#008000|Legalization - prostitution legal and regulated}}
{{legend|#336699|Abolitionism - prostitution is legal, but organized activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal; prostitution is not regulated}}
{{legend|#ff7f00|Neo-abolitionism - illegal to buy sex and for 3rd party involvement, legal to sell sex}}
{{legend|#FF0000|Prohibitionism - prostitution illegal}}
{{legend|#585858|Legality varies with local laws}}]]
{{main|Prostitution in Oceania}}
Prostitution in Oceania varies greatly across the region. In American Samoa, prostitution is illegal,{{cite web |url= http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/hivaids/English/HIV-2012-SexWorkAndLaw.pdf |title= Sex Work and the Law in Asia and the Pacific |last= Godwin |first= John |date= October 2012 |website= UNAIDS }} whereas in New Zealand most aspects of the trade are decriminalised.Prostitution Reform Act 2003.
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! Prostitution in Oceania areas |
| Sovereign states
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}} Associated states of New Zealand {{flatlist|indent=1| }} Dependencies and other territories {{flatlist|indent=1|
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See also
{{Portal|Prostitution|Sex work}}