Legal or not, OZschwitz sex industry powers on - YaY!

WHETHER prostitution is legal or not has ''little or no impact on the size of the industry'' but it does affect the health of sex workers, Australian research shows.

A study of prostitution in Sydney, which has the most liberal approach; in Perth, where it is mostly outlawed; and Melbourne, which falls in between, has found a ''thriving'' sex industry in all three cities.

Legal status was found to affect only the health and support services available to sex workers and the hygiene and safety standards of brothels.
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''In spite of the different legal climates, each city had a thriving brothel, escort, private [call girl] sex industry plus a small street-based industry,'' a co-author Basil Donovan, from the NSW and National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research at the University of NSW, said.

''On a per capita basis, the number of brothels was broadly comparable between the cities.

''This suggests the legal climate has no impact on the prevalence of commercial sex.''

Sex workers in Sydney, where adult prostitution is decriminalised and brothel locations are regulated through local planning laws, have access to the best-funded support program at $800,000 a year.

Sydney sex workers were also more likely to report regular contact with a health worker compared with those in other cities.

Sydney has about 200 brothels within 20 kilometres of the city centre, the research found, all operating legally - but many without planning permission.

But Professor Donovan said researchers had limited access to the city's unlicensed brothels, which were likely to have poorer safety standards.

He said the research showed making prostitution illegal ''does not stop prostitution'', and it was a missed opportunity to improve health and safety.

ANCAPS: ANARCHO-CAPITALISTS

Legal or not, OZschwitz sex industry powers on - YaY!

Legal or not, OZschwitz sex industry powers on - YaY!

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