Street prostitution

Street prostitution is a form of prostitution in which a sex worker solicits customers from a public place, most commonly a street, while waiting at street corners or walking alongside a street, but also other public places such as parks, benches, etc. The street prostitute is often dressed in a provocative manner. The sex act may be performed in the customer's car or in a nearby secluded street location, or at the prostitute's apartment or in a rented motel room.

In the UK a study showed that up to 95% of women in street prostitution are problematic drug users, including around 78% heroin users and rising numbers of crack cocaine addicts. Abuse is often suffered by prostitutes, more than half of UK women in prostitution have been raped and/or seriously sexually assaulted and at least three quarters have been physically assaulted.

A global study of prostitution found that 9 out of 10 women engaged in street prostitution would like to exit if they could.

Street prostitution is often illegal, even in jurisdictions that allow other forms of prostitution.

It is estimated that only 10-20 percent of women are working in the streets; however, it is also estimated that 90 percent of the arrests of prostitutes are of street workers.

Many countries which outlaw street prostitution have "unofficial" tolerance zones, where the practice is tolerated by the authorities, in spite of its illegality.

In some jurisdictions where prostitution itself is legal, such as in the United Kingdom, street prostitution is still illegal.

Some jurisdictions also outlaw kerb crawling, slowly driving around with the intent to procure the services of a prostitute.

In Australia, in New South Wales it is legal to solicit on the streets, except in some areas (such as near schools). The other Australian states and territories prohibit street solicitation, although some of these jurisdictions allow licensed brothels.

Street prostitution is legal in New Zealand. In Germany it is allowed too, but cities can restrict it to certain areas or hours (regulations vary widely from place to place).

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Wikipedia