Prostitution, in one form or another, has existed since at least 2400 BCE, and over those many years, it has been perceived in many different lights. While some cultures have recognized prostitution as a real occupation, others have reviled it and condemned those who sold sexual services. With the rise of sexual morality, feminism, and many other movements and ideologies, the stance toward prostitution has long been conflicted. Even today, it remains debate as to whether prostitution should be legal.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, though, "Few societies have exercised the same severity toward clients; indeed, in many societies, clients suffer few if any legal repercussions." What, then, does that say about the revulsion some feel towards those who engage in prostitution? If they truly feel that prostitution is wrong, then aren't the customers who encourage the growth of such an industry no less to blame than those who provide the services? Or does the issue stem from a deeper dislike of women (who have historically made up the majority of prostitutes) taking control of their own bodies and dismissing the expected sense of "purity" and "virtue"?
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