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housewives, and sorne go into this
business."
One majar reason for the boom–
ing business of prostitution today is
the relaxed sexual elimate in West–
ern nations. Moral taboos are not as
strict as they formerly were. The
general loosening and lowering of
sexual standards of conduct and the
sex explosion in the movies, maga–
zines, and arts have contributed to
the modero toleration and prolifera–
tion of prostitution.
But have we honestly looked at
sorne of the concomitant results?
Prostitution and Crime
Crime goes hand-in-hand with
prostitution. One reason is the fact
that many prostitutes become drug
addicts and associate with other
addicts a nd pushers of drugs. Ad–
dicts, to support their habit, often
become thieves.
In Honolulu, after the houses of
illicit sex were shut down in
1944,
a
sharp reduction in V.O. occurred.
At the same time, there was a sub–
stantial reduction in the incidence of
rape and sex crimes.
Charles Winick and Paul Kinsie,
quoted above, point out: "When
prosti tut ion declines, so do other
crimes." They assert, for example,
that "Terre Haute [Indiana] was a
healthier and safer city after the
brothels closed, and there is reason
to believe that elimination of the
red Light district had a good deal to
do with the change"
(The Lively
Commerce,
pp.
198-199).
The relationship between prosti–
tution and crime goes beyond mere
individual crime. Organized crime
- the syndicate - usually tries to
inveigle its way onto the scene.
Wherev er pros titution thrives ,
chances are that the criminal under–
world has muscled its way into the
racket through threats and com–
petitors or blackmail. Ouring Prohi–
bition in the United States, the
Chicago crime syndicate operated
the largest chain of brothels in the
country.
Edward M. Oavis, Chief of Police
14
for Los Angeles, declared: "Law en–
forcement experience identifies
prostitution as the medium by
which thefts, extortions, robberies
and occasionally murders are per–
petrated." Wherever there are po–
tential clients, willing to spend hard–
eamed money for sex and sensual–
ity, the gangster underworld will at–
tempt to infiltrate and obtain its
share of the profi t.
V .D. and Prostitution
Another side effect of prostitution
is venereal disease. Perbaps 90 per–
cent of all professional prostitutes
contract V.O. during their career.
Each woman can infect about
twenty meo befare her V.O. is dis–
covered.
Medica! examiners who discov–
ered V.D . in one California prosti–
tute found that she had had sexual
contact with
310
truck drivers from
thirty-four states - many of whom
had been infected by her.
Regular medica! examination
cannot eliminate the danger of V.D.
Experience during World War
li
proves this. During the war, the
Germans regulated brothels in París
and had the women inspected twice
weekly. Ouring the same period, the
official American armed forces pol–
icy was to suppress aU prostitution.
Figures show that the overall effect
of the German policy w.as a V.O.
rate four times as great as that of
the Americans.
Even if a prostitute takes daily
doses of penicillin, there is still the
danger that she might develop a re–
sistant strain. " Routine shots," states
Patrick M. McGrady, Jr. , in
The
Love Doctors,
"often conceal the
symptoms of gonorrhea without kill–
ing the organisms. They are also
partly responsible for the new, more
resistant strains of gonorrhea going
around" (p. 73). However, the dan–
ger of V.O. is not really the central
problem with prostitut ion.
Prostitution Cheapens Sex
Prostitution is a threat to society
on two Jevels. First, it destroys the
Lives of the women who become in–
volved. Many prostitutes become
addicted to drugs because of the
lack of true fulfillment in their Jives.
Many become the virtual slaves of
pimps. Such women are not really
able to enj oy life. Their lives be–
come corroded and wasted . Many of
them learn to bate roen.
Prostitution makes sex chea p,
merely physical. There is no real
!ove or endearing emotion involved.
Intercourse itself becomes just a
physical act of gratification or titilla–
tion. Prostitution debases sex and
makes it routine, like nothing more
than brushing one's teeth.
Aside from the degrading impact
commercial sex has upon the ro–
mantic concept of love itself and
upon the wholesome type of mutual
love and deep feeling two people
can have for each other, it also dam–
ages a woman physically, emotion–
ally, and spiritually.
Emotionally. the act of prostitut–
ing one's body creates distorted fee l–
ings toward all men, and callouses
one's attitude toward life itself. Thus
many prostitutes become brazen,
cynical, and negative in their out–
look.
Physically, there is the fact that
constant sex causes irritation in the
sexual organs themselves. Studies
show that the constant irritation
caused by having repeated inter–
course with a variety of meo con–
tributes to a higher incidence of
cancer of the uterus. Cervical cancer
is especially prevalent among
women who have their fi.rst sexual
experience early in life and who
have many sex partners; frequency
of intercourse with a single partner,
however, does not appear to in–
crease the incidence of the disease.
Spiritually, the effects of prostitu–
tion upon a woman are devastating.
Sorne prost i tutes may attend
church, but spiritually they are con–
fused. " I'm a religious person,"
commented one prostitute. " ( be–
lieve in God. But l don't practice
the faith any more. Let's not bring
the Bible and God into all this."
PLAIN TRUTH July·August 1973
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