Prostitution in Thailand



Abstract

This study focuses the threats associated with the prostitution in Thailand. This study also provide the detailed review of literature associated with the sex industry of Thailand and its impact on the society, economy and health of the people associated with it such as prostitutes, male clients and their wives affected with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. This study also highlights the concern for education and health awareness programs for these people to prevent this illegal business and death rates due to this.

Prostitution in Thailand

Introduction

Prostitution is one of the most ancient professions. Gerda Lerner traced the history of prostitution since the time of ancient Sumerian civilization in the “Mesopotamia” (Lerner, 1987, p.54-68). The concept of slave women is as old as 2400 B.C. or even before that. These women were forced into prostitution by primitive men or seduced by offering food or any other thing (Benjamin, 1964 p.35). In all the ages prostitution has come across with many changes and there has been various chronological traces evident from different fields and classes from aristocratic Europeans to the lower classes there have always been prostitutes available to fulfill men's demands. Later the concept of prostitution become more expanded and involved the child abuse and even male prostitutes are also included. In countries where this is considered as illegal profession there are various raids and arrests of these women, but this is not controllable as the desire of man for sex cannot be controlled. The word prostitution is often tied to countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and many other countries in Southeast Asia. There are about forty million prostitutes in the world. On top of that, the largest sex industry, which amounts to thirty five billion, is owned by Thailand. Prostitution has always been a problem all over the world and various preventive measures have been taken against this profession and there are various social, moral and ethical issues associated with it (Kramer & Berg, 2003). Apart from this increased rate of HIV has directed the attention of people and high officials of states as well as international health conventions and various health organizations towards the problem of increasing death rate due to HIV and spared of various contagious diseases and infections from sexual relationships. Apart from these diseases there are more issues arising from the sexual abuses and unnatural practices of sex. This is the most lethal disease and even transfers from mother to child. This requires the attention to resolve this issue and to save the world from such diseases and unethical and illegal profession all over the world. In today's modern world this profession has taken a form of multibillion dollar industry all over the globe where women are not only working as call girls or street walkers but also use as business escorts and supplied to the corporate suites. Apart from this the sales and purchase of these women and teenage girls all over the world has now become very ...