ABSTRACT
As Switzerland is a federal country, there are potentially 26 regulations of prostitution, one for each Swiss canton. Federal law defines minimal rules and most of this activity falls under cantonal jurisdiction. Until 1925, Switzerland adopted a regulationist approach in the main urban cantons: brothels were authorized in cities or cantons-such as Bern, Zurich, and Geneva-to limit the visibility of prostitution, and the spread of STIs and immorality into the dominant social classes. The main factors of vulnerability for sex workers in Switzerland are related to their migratory background, which does not allow those from third countries to get a permanent permit of stay. To conclude the overview, it seems that, since 1992, the regulation of prostitution in Switzerland has enabled the establishment of collaboration between the different actors and a low level of criminality in the sex industry.
