A Real Con-Dom-Drum

Trey Smith

Police in major cities in the United States are criminalising women who carry a stock of condoms, making sex workers and their clients less likely to use them and increasing their risk of contracting HIV, says Human Rights Watch.

A new report compiles evidence from sex workers in four major cities – Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Interviews with more than 300 people show that those most at risk of HIV, such as sex workers and transgender women, are afraid to carry condoms in case they should be stopped and searched by police.

"Some women told Human Rights Watch that they continued to carry condoms despite the harsh consequences. For others, fear of arrest overwhelmed their need to protect themselves from HIV, other sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy," says the report.
~ from US Condom Crackdown Impeding Efforts to Prevent HIV, Study Finds by Sarah Boseley ~

With police departments across the nation feeling the budget pinch, is this really the best use of their shrinking resources and time? In my view, prostitution is a victimless crime. For the most part, it's an economic arrangement between two willing parties.

In some cases, this is NOT necessarily true -- there IS a victim: the girl or woman FORCED into prostitution against her will. In those cases, the police shouldn't arrest the hooker but the person forcing them to walk the street.

But arresting prostitutes for trying to protect their own health? That's not only insane, it's darn stupid too!