Map of Sex Work Law
Select relevant items to highlight countries which share similar approaches
- ANo laws address commercial sex.
- BIt is illegal to buy and sell sex and to organise commercial sex in any place (advertising, living off immoral earnings, operating a brothel, procuring etc) (eg Vietnam)
- CIt is illegal to sell sex and to organise commercial sex in any place. (eg Mongolia)
- DIt is illegal to solicit to sell sex in a public place and to organise commercial sex in any place. (eg Argentina)
- EIt is illegal to buy sex and to organise commercial sex in any place (eg Sweden)
- FIt is illegal to organise commercial sex. (eg Brazil)
- GThe law against prostitution is expressed as a law against 'debauchery', 'immorality' or other such term. (eg Zambia)
- HIt is illegal to sell sex and organise commercial sex except where permission is given by a licensing authority that applies conditions such as health provisions and restrictions on how and where the person or business can operate (eg Senegal)
- IIt is illegal to organise and to sell sexual services except within specific buildings or zones, or away from designated buildings and zones. (eg Switzerland)
- JIt is illegal to solicit to buy or sell sex in a public place and to organise commercial sex in any place (eg UK, Fiji)
- KIt is illegal to buy or sell sex if no precautions are taken against sexually transmitted infections. (eg New Zealand)
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Click on a specific characteristic to highlight countries in which it applies
- 1There are laws or regulations that require sex workers to undergo medical examination (e.g. Latvia)
- 2The law conflates sex work that does not involve coercion with sexual exploitation and human trafficking. (e.g. Nepal)
- 3Laws against prostitution and brothel keeping are complimented by regulations that recognise other businesses such as entertainment or personal services in which sex work can be organised under specific conditions. (e.g. Thailand)
- 4Legal recognition of temporary marriage may render some commercial sex legal (e.g. Iran)
- 5The definition of prostitution is applied to limited sex acts (e.g. Japan)
- 6The law is gender neutral so may be applied to men who sell sex.
- 7Different state or district level governments within one country can make rules on sex work so they are not uniform throughout the country. (e.g. Australia)
- 8Laws such as public disorder, vagrancy, loitering and state recognised religious provisions are used to prosecute women who sell sex. (e.g. Malaysia)
- 9There are laws to prevent women living with HIV from selling sex or requiring them to disclose their HIV status to clients (e.g. USA)
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How to use the map
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Search for a description of the laws that directly address adult female sex work by country
CountriesIdentify countries that take particular legal approaches
Legal ApproachesSee specific characteristics of law, policy and regulation, and where they apply
CharacteristicsOr click on a country to find out more
