Prostitution in Honduras

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Prostitution in Honduras is currently legal, as there is no law prohibiting prostitution. Although similar institutions such as brothel ownership and pimping are illegal in Honduras, prostitution has remained largely unchecked by the government. UNAIDS estimate there to be 22,771 prostitutes in the country. [1]

Contents

Lack of enforcement of current laws has created a profitable business out of prostitution - one in which both adults and children are a part. There are many causes to the high rates of involvement amongst the women and teens in cities, but the main reason is the high poverty levels. Participants see sex work as a viable option to escape poverty.

Prostitution poses risks to these sex workers, especially in terms of mental, physical, and sexual health effects. There are also worldwide effects due to prostitution out of Honduras and similar countries in Central America.

Honduras has tried to curb these effects but has yet to find a stable solution, despite numerous policy recommendations.

Effects of adult prostitution

Mental and physical

According to a study, many commercial sex workers in cities, both men and women, are exposed to sexual and physical violence. 71.4% of street workers were exposed to violence/physical danger and almost 90% were exposed to sexual violence. [2] On top of this, 73.5% of victims were physically abused in their childhood, which shows the origins of such mental and physical effects. For some workers, a lifestyle of abuse and exploitation is all they know.

Another important aspect is the correlation between prostitution and drug use amongst sex workers. In the same study, nearly 1 in 4 commercial sex workers abuse cocaine, which as a recreational drug, has its own physical effects.

In terms of mental effects, 63.3% of Commercial sex workers have reported having suicidal behavior in life; this percentage was even higher amongst the women. It is clear that prostitution in Honduran urban centers has created negative mental health issues among those who work in the field.

Sexual

Contrary to the belief that prostitution equates to high levels of HIV/AIDS, a medical report [3] from 2006 states that only 2.4% of its sample size of 790 female sex workers had HIV. They attribute this low number to the increase in the use of protection among sex workers. In fact, government STI prevention programs have been implemented since the early 2000s in cities across Honduras. Because prostitution is prolific in cities, these programs have proven extremely effective in reducing numbers of HIV incidents.

Child prostitution

Honduras has unsuccessfully tried to curb child prostitution. Lax laws have turned child prostitution into a business that has created prostitution rings both within the country and trafficking to other countries, including the US.

The business continues to grow as children participate in sex work as a means of surviving.

Although this article is specific to Honduras, child prostitution can be viewed in Central America as a whole, because of the networks of prostitution rings from as north as southern Mexico to as south as Costa Rica. [4] [5]

Causes

The first cause is poverty. Prostitution becomes a source of economic opportunity where there is a space of economic regression. [4] Surprisingly, many children who go into prostitution are forced by the parents in order to provide for the family, hence there were high levels of reported abuse in sex workers' childhoods. In a country where there are low literacy rates in rural areas, there is little opportunity to gain economic prosperity through education.

Exploiting this reality, sex-tourist agents go to the countryside to find these children and contract them out for work. The agents pay the parents large sums of money up front in exchange for contractual labor done by their children, a form of modern-day slavery.

Another cause is the promise for a better lifestyle. Some children willingly participate in the child prostitution industry because they believe the quality of life will be better than before. There have even been reports of some sex workers believing they would get trafficked into a better country where they could start anew. [4] Unfortunately, some children are homeless or surrounded by gang activity and find similar outlets to survive.

Effects of sex work on children

There are dangerous physical and mental effects of sex work on children. They live in terrible conditions, are poorly fed and are often physically abused by their contractors if they do not deliver well on their jobs. [5] Children suffer from mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, but also a lack of confidence and self-worth because they are used as tools. Children have been found to struggle from Complex post-traumatic stress disorder as adults due to their experiences when younger. [4]

In terms of health effects, children are more likely to suffer from life-threatening illnesses such as tuberculosis and HIV due to the amount of exposure to others in the work, and the immaturity of their bodies. Additionally, they are more susceptible to transferring STDs due to the ease with which their genitals can break. [5]

Sex tourism

Sex tourism is an issue that is tied to child prostitution because of the large demand by older, adult men. Individuals from developed countries come to major Honduran cities like Tegucigalpa in order to have sex with minors because it is legal and cheap. The demand of these individuals further spurs the business, and is the reason for the creation of the sex work contractors.

Although pimping is considered illegal, it is commonplace and an industry has arisen through illegal tourism.

Sex trafficking

Because of a low-cost and available population, trafficking has occurred both in and out of Honduras. These rings have extended their reach to even the United States. Here are a few reasons why sex trafficking occurs.

The first reason is deceit. Sex workers are lured with the promise of a better life, and are sold to wealthy people in the United States. [6] On top of this, those already in the industry voluntarily go to the United States because there is the opportunity for better. [7]

Another reason is government corruption. Although trafficking is illegal, countries have reported government officials helping to smuggle persons and drafting fake documents to facilitate such smuggling. [6]

The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranks Honduras as a 'Tier 2' country. [8]

Current Government Action / Policy

Honduras has struggled to make effective government policy to combat this issue. The country planned to implement a National Plan of Action to Eradicate Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, but the plan never came to fruition. [9]

The United Nations, the United States, and other international bodies have recommended policy to end child prostitution and sex trafficking. The number one policy to be put in place is ensuring safe and viable routes to economic prosperity, which means increasing access to education. Other Central American countries such as Costa Rica have put in educational measures to ensure their young citizens have access to academic and career opportunity. [9]

There is also the need for child protection services. This means a legal and societal framework to stop traffickers from recruiting these children - support through laws and the community. This policy is outlined in a report on child prostitution in Honduras by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Honduras has taken these policies into consideration, but whether they are realized remains to be seen.

Additionally, non-governmental organizations like Casa Alianza and the International Labour Organization's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour have created programs working alongside the Honduran Government to tackle this problem. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex worker</span> Person who works in the sex industry

A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex tourism</span> Travel to engage in sexual activity

Sex tourism is the practice of traveling to foreign countries, often on a different continent, with the intention of engaging in sexual activity or relationships in exchange for money or lifestyle support. This practice predominantly operates in countries where sex work is legal. The World Tourism Organization of the United Nations has acknowledged about this industry is organized both within and outside the structured laws and networks created by them.

Child sex tourism (CST) is tourism for the purpose of engaging in the prostitution of children, which is commercially facilitated child sexual abuse. The definition of child in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is "every human being below the age of 18 years". Child sex tourism results in both mental and physical consequences for the exploited children, which may include sexually transmitted infections, "drug addiction, pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and death", according to the State Department of the United States. Child sex tourism, part of the multibillion-dollar global sex tourism industry, is a form of child prostitution within the wider issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Child sex tourism victimizes approximately 2 million children around the world. The children who perform as prostitutes in the child sex tourism trade often have been lured or abducted into sexual slavery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Child prostitution</span> Prostitution involving a child

Child prostitution is prostitution involving a child, and it is a form of commercial sexual exploitation of children. The term normally refers to prostitution of a minor, or person under the legal age of consent. In most jurisdictions, child prostitution is illegal as part of general prohibition on prostitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commercial sexual exploitation of children</span> Commercial transaction that involves the sexual exploitation of a child

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) defines the “umbrella” of crimes and activities that involve inflicting sexual abuse on to a child as a financial or personal opportunity. Commercial Sexual Exploitation consists of forcing a child into prostitution, sex trafficking, early marriage, child sex tourism and any other venture of exploiting children into sexual activities. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the lack of reporting the crime and “the difficulties associated with identifying and measuring victims and perpetrators” has made it almost impossible to create a national estimate of the prevalence of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the United States. There is an estimated one million children that are exploited for commercial sex globally; of the one million children that are exploited, the majority are girls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in the Philippines</span>

Human trafficking and the prostitution of children has been a significant issue in the Philippines, often controlled by organized crime syndicates. Human trafficking is a crime against humanity.

Prostitution in Guatemala is legal but procuring is prohibited. There is an offence of “aggravated procuring” where a minor is involved. Keeping a brothel is not prohibited.

Prostitution in Costa Rica is legal. Costa Rica's legal system is based on Roman law rather than common law, and so for prostitution to be illegal it would have to be explicitly stated as such in a penal code, and it is not. Nevertheless, many of the activities surrounding it are illegal, as the law forbids promoting or facilitating the prostitution of another, and therefore pimping, brothels, or prostitution rings are illegal. Prostitution is common and is practiced openly throughout the country, particularly in popular tourism destinations.

Prostitution in Nicaragua is legal, but promoting prostitution and procuring are prohibited. The minimum age for prostitutes is 18 years old. It was estimated in 2015 that there were around 15,000 prostitutes in the country.

Prostitution in Kenya is widespread. The legal situation is complex. Although prostitution is not criminalised by National law, municipal by-laws may prohibit it.. It is illegal to profit from the prostitution of others, and to aid, abet, compel or incite prostitution.. UNAIDS estimate there to be 133,675 prostitutes in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking</span> Trade of humans for exploitation

Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation.

Prostitution in Burkina Faso is not specifically prohibited by the law, but soliciting and pimping are illegal. Burkinabe society only accepts sexual intercourse within marriage. In 2009, Voice of America reported that the number of prostitutes in Burkina Faso had increased as a result of the country's poverty. The increase in prostitution has given rise to fears of an increase in the number of Burkinabés infected with HIV and AIDS. UNAIDS estimate there to be 31,000 prostitutes in the country.

Thailand is a centre for child sex tourism and child prostitution. Even though domestic and international authorities work to protect children from sexual abuse, the problem still persists in Thailand and many other Southeast Asian countries. Child prostitution, like other forms of child sexual abuse, not only causes death and high morbidity rates in millions of children but also violates their rights and dignity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution law</span> Legality of prostitution

Prostitution laws varies widely from country to country, and between jurisdictions within a country. At one extreme, prostitution or sex work is legal in some places and regarded as a profession, while at the other extreme, it is considered a severe crime punishable by death in some other places. A variety of different legal models exist around the world, including total bans, bans that only target the customer, and laws permitting prostitution but prohibiting organized groups, an example being brothels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ECPAT International</span> Global network of organizations against child sexual exploitation

ECPAT International is a global network of civil society organisations that works to end the sexual exploitation of children. It focuses on ending the online sexual exploitation of children, the trafficking of children for sexual purposes, the sexual exploitation of children in prostitution, child, early and forced marriages, and the sexual exploitation of children in the travel and tourism industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Costa Rica</span> Trade of people in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a source, transit, and destination country for goods and products, a great location for trade in the seas. Costa Rica is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea making it a source of imports and exports. Costa Rica is approximately 19,653 square miles of land, making it smaller than West Virginia. To a lesser but increasing extent, Costa Rica is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to conditions of forced labor, particularly in the agriculture, construction, fishing, and domestic service sectors. The economy greatly depends on the exportation of bananas and coffee, making high demands of agriculture work. Costa Rican women and children are forced into commercial sexual exploitation due to high rates of poverty and violence. Women and girls from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Colombia, and Panama have been identified in as victims of forced prostitution. Child sex tourism is a serious problem, particularly in the provinces of Guanacaste, Limón, Puntarenas, and San José. Child sex tourists arrive mostly from the United States and Europe. Young men from Nicaragua, Vietnam, China and other Asian countries are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Costa Rica. Adults have been identified using trafficked women and children to transport and sell drugs. Neighboring countries and cities are victims as well to forced labor many times trafficked to Costa Rica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Child labour in Cambodia</span>

Child labour refers to the full-time employment of children under a minimum legal age. In 2003, an International Labour Organization (ILO) survey reported that one in every ten children in the capital above the age of seven was engaged in child domestic labour. Children who are too young to work in the fields work as scavengers. They spend their days rummaging in dumps looking for items that can be sold for money. Children also often work in the garment and textile industry, in prostitution, and in the military.

Prostitution in Madagascar is legal, and common, especially in tourist areas. Related activities such as soliciting, procuring, living off the earnings of prostitution or keeping a brothel are prohibited. Public Order laws are also used against prostitutes. There are recent laws against "consorting with female prostitutes". People caught paying for sex with children under 14 can face criminal penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment. This is strictly enforced against foreign tourists. As well as in the tourist areas, prostitution also occurs around the mining towns of the interior such as Ilakaka and Andilamena. It was estimated that there were 167,443 sex workers in the country in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in the Americas</span> Overview of the legality and practice of prostitution in the Americas

Legality of prostitution in the Americas varies by country. Most countries only legalized prostitution, with the act of exchanging money for sexual services legal. The level of enforcement varies by country. One country, the United States, is unique as legality of prostitution is not the responsibility of the federal government, but rather state, territorial, and federal district's responsibility.

Sex trafficking in Japan is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the country. Japan is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sexually trafficked persons.

References

  1. ↑ "Sex workers: Population size estimate - Number, 2016". www.aidsinfoonline.org. UNAIDS. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  2. ↑ Rio Navarro, Javier, Julien Cohen, Eva Rocillo Arechaga, and Edgardo Zuniga. 2012. “Physical and sexual violence, mental health indicators, and treatment seeking among street-based population groups in Tegucigalpa, Honduras” Revista Panamericana De Salud Publica 31, no. 5: 388-395. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed 2 March 2017)
  3. ↑ Ditmore, M. H. (2006). Encyclopedia of prostitution and sex work. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Beyer, N. (2001). The Sex Tourism Industry Spreads to Costa Rica and Honduras: Are These Countries Doing Enough to Protect Their Children from Sexual Exploitation. Ga. J. Int'l & Comp. L.
  5. 1 2 3 Guinn, David E., and Elissa Steglich. 2003. In modern bondage: Sex trafficking in the americas : National and regional overview of Central America and the caribbean : Belize, costa rica, dominican republic, el salvador, guatemala, Honduras,
  6. 1 2 Golob, T. A. (2014). Human trafficking from southern mexico, Honduras, el salvador, and guatemala: Why these victims are trafficked into modern day florida (Order No. 1555111). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1530474424).
  7. ↑ Trafficking in Honduras. (September 2010). Retrieved 9 March 2017, from http://www.protectionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Honduras.pdf
  8. ↑ "Honduras 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  9. 1 2 UNICEF. (2015). Prevention of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: Contributing to a Sustainable Tourism in Central America. Panama City, Panama: Child Protection Section.
  10. ↑ Maalla M’jid, N. (n.d.). Report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (United Nations Human RIghts Council).
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