Portal:Prostitution
Introduction
Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penetrative sex, manual sex, oral sex, etc.) with the customer. The requirement of physical contact also creates the risk of transferring infections. Prostitution is sometimes described as sexual services, commercial sex or, colloquially, hooking. It is also described as gender-based violence. It is sometimes referred to euphemistically as "the world's oldest profession" in the English-speaking world. A person who works in the field is usually called a prostitute or sex worker, but other words, such as hooker and whore, are sometimes used pejoratively to refer to those who work in prostitution. The majority of prostitutes are female and have male clients.
Prostitution occurs in a variety of forms, and its legal status varies from country to country (sometimes from region to region within a given country). In most cases, it can be either an enforced crime, an unenforced crime, a decriminalized activity, a legal but unregulated activity, or a regulated profession. It is one branch of the sex industry, along with pornography, stripping, and erotic dancing. Brothels are establishments specifically dedicated to prostitution. In escort prostitution, the act may take place at the client's residence or hotel room (referred to as out-call), or at the escort's residence or a hotel room rented for the occasion by the escort (in-call). Another form is street prostitution.
According to a 2011 report by Fondation Scelles there are about 42 million prostitutes in the world, living all over the world (though most of Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa lack data, studied countries in that large region rank as top sex tourism destinations). Estimates place the annual revenue generated by prostitution worldwide to be over $100 billion. (Full article...)
Selected article
A sex drive-in or sex box is a car garage (or similarly shielded location) that is designed to allow prostitution to take place using cars, and can be found in a few countries in Europe. Generally the facilities are created by local authorities to put some control on where prostitution occurs and to provide increased safety.
The concept started in the Netherlands where such facilities are called afwerkplek (literally meaning "a place to finish the work"; more to the point, "a sheltered area, provided by the authorities, where prostitutes provide their services", and was first used in Utrecht starting in 1986. It was later adopted in Germany (verrichtungsbox in German, which translates as "performance box"), where the Utrecht model was first used in Cologne in 2001. (read more...)
Selected biography
Peter William Coonan (born Peter William Sutcliffe; 2 June 1946) is an English serial killer who was dubbed the "Yorkshire Ripper" by the press. In 1981 Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting to murder seven others.
Sutcliffe initially attacked women and girls in residential areas but seems to have moved to red light districts because he was attracted by the vulnerability of prostitutes. Sutcliffe had allegedly regularly used the services of prostitutes in Leeds and Bradford. When interviewed by authorities, he claimed that the voice of God had sent him on a mission to kill prostitutes. Sutcliffe carried out murders over five years, during which time some members of the public were especially shocked by the murders of women who were not prostitutes. (read more...)
Did you know?
- ... that a female state legislator proposed making Dorothy's Rooms (bathroom pictured), the last brothel in Helena, Montana, a historical landmark?
- ... that Three-Mile Hog Ranch was a center for prostitution for soldiers at Fort Laramie?
- ... that one of the duties of the medieval English justice Richard Herriard (d. 1208) was paying prostitutes for John, King of England?
- ... that although known for their erotic protests, the Ukrainian women’s movement FEMEN is against legalizing prostitution?
Quotes
| “ | I think it proves that if my business could be made legal, the way off-track betting is in New York, I and women like me could make a big contribution to what Mayor John Lindsay calls Fun City, and the city and state could derive the money in taxes and licensing fees that I pay off to crooked cops and political figures. | ” |
Anniversaries - October
- 3rd
- 1877: Death of Jurjentje Aukes Rauwerda, a Dutch prostitute and procurer. She was famous among members of her profession in the contemporary Netherlands, and ran the largest brothel in Amsterdam, the Maison Weinthal.
- 7th
- 1958: Birth of Robyn Few, an American sex workers' rights activist, founder of the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA (SWOP-USA), and co-organiser the annual International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.
- 9th
- 1669: Death of Damaris Page, a London brothel keeper, entrepreneur and property developer, one of the most successful and famous prostitutes of her time.
- 16th
- 2018: Death of Dennis Hof, an American brothel owner, politician, and star of the HBO series Cathouse. He was best known as the owner of seven legal brothels in Nevada.
- 29th
- 1957: Murder of Rosemarie Nitribitt, a German luxury call girl whose violent death caused a scandal in the Germany of the Wirtschaftswunder years. The case gave rise to a novel, three movies and a musical.
- 31st
- 1959: Murder of Blonde Dolly (Sybille Alida Johanna Niemans), a Dutch prostitute and businesswoman.
Selected image
De Wallen, Amsterdam's red-light district, offers activities such as legal prostitution and is one of the main tourist attractions.
Legality Map
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- Start a new article. Prostitution is a broad topic, so there will always be plenty of missing articles.
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- Improve main article prostitution to featured status.
- Suggest improvements to this portal here
Recognised content
Featured (13)
Good (18)
- Mah Laqa Bai
- Butters' Bottom Bitch
- Child prostitution
- Elizabeth Cresswell
- Casey Donovan
- Dumas Brothel
- Andrea Dworkin
- Natasha Falle
- Kanhopatra
- Caroline Lacroix
- Ipswich serial murders
- National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking
- Neaira (hetaera)
- Salon Kitty
- She Has a Name
- Soho
- Valerie Solanas
- Three Sisters Tavern
Subtopics
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