ABSTRACT
This chapter describes that the terminology used when discussing sex work and prostitution and the implications each term has within a larger political and ideological debate. It explains what effect perceptions of morality and perceived dangers associated with prostitution have on the development of prostitution laws. The chapter identifies the different kinds of systems of regulation of prostitution in different geographical contexts. When people engage in sex work voluntarily, they do so for a wide variety of reasons. Most social, political, and legal debates, as well as scholarly research, focus on female involvement in prostitution. However, male and transgender participation in prostitution comprise a significant segment of the sex trade. The anti-trafficking movement is largely represented by the 'religious right' and anti-prostitution feminists, situated within the oppression paradigm. Although sex workers enjoyed some popularity in medieval times, they did not benefit from any form of legal or judicial rights.
