The prostitution rag (with descant)

While the Conservatives continue apace with Turning Election Promises Into Reality, I worry about law and order. It's clear that solicitation won't be decriminalized; I sure hope the penalties aren't tightened further.

Though legalization isn't necessarily so swell, either. There is in the world a slow but growing movement toward requiring regular STD checks for hookers. Not to protect the prostitutes, of course (such as telling them that their HIV infection means they need meds and condoms), but to protect johns and the reputations of the cities they frequent. (Not that I'm saying here that the health of johns should be ignored.)

Most prostitutes, in North America, anyway, want to be by-law free. Few businesses manage to work that way (though many freelancers in a range of professions do manage -- I'm thinking writers, translators...).

The April POZ mag features a quick rundown of rules and regs elsewhere in the world.

In Tijuana, Mexico, a border town with the U.S., the HIV infection rate is rather high. There's no clear proof it's because of the booming prostitution business with the touristas, but hookers will always be blamed, whether they're the disease vector or not.

Prostitution is illegal, but cops have long looked the other way. And Tijuana city council has effectively legalized solicitation through the back door by requiring that the municipality's 7,000 sex workers get tested for HIV and other STDs -- once a month.

Prostitutes are required to carry a coded magnetic card that lists their sero-status and the date of their last test. Cops get to see it on demand, and if you're poz, you're outta work. If your results are out of date, you're fined. Latex is not an option under these rules.

Elsewhere:

In India, prostitution is legal, soliciting sex isn't. The Songachi Project, founded by sex workers, has upped condom use in its (geographical) area from three percent in 1992 to more than 80 percent.

In Australia, prostitution is legal and there are unions for hookers. Brothel employees (where such houses are legal) benefit from AIDS health pointers.

In Brazil, prostitution is legal. Sex workers have helped reduce the HIV infection rate. "Last May, Brazil refused to condemn prostitution, a requirement to receive U.S. AIDS funds, losing $40 million."

Yup, because in the U.S., "the Bush administration launched a widely reviled policy requiring that foreign AIDS organizations condemn prostitution before receiving U.S. funds."

POZ notes: "Prostitution is illegal in every state except Nevada, where sex workers must get HIV tests monthly and brothel owners may be held liable for clients who test positive. In several states, possession of condoms can be used as evidence against a suspected sex worker."

A court case is underway now in which a judge is being asked to toss the foreign aid/anti-hooker rule.