Legality ofprostitution inthe 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.
Decriminalization - No criminal penalties for prostitutionLegalization - prostitution legal and regulatedAbolitionism - prostitution is legal, but organized activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal; prostitution isnot regulatedNeo-abolitionism - illegal to buy sex and for 3rd party involvement, legal to sell sexProhibitionism - prostitution illegalLegality varies with local laws
 Bermuda | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal |
Prostitution is legal inBermuda but related activities such as running a brothel are illegal under the Criminal Code.[1] Women coming to the island to work as prostitutes, or is a known prostitute, may be refused entry under the immigration laws.[2] Many of the prostitutes in the country are from Philippines, Dominican Republic and Panama.[3] In 2010 the visa requirements for people from these countries was changed to attempt to curb prostitution.[4] Street prostitution occurs in the capital,Hamilton, on Front Street.[5]
 Canada | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex illegal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution was traditionally legal as there were no laws prohibiting the exchange of sex for money or other consideration. On 20 December 2013, theSupreme Court of Canada found the laws prohibitingbrothels, public communication for the purpose of prostitution, and living on the profits of prostitution to be unconstitutional. The ruling gave theCanadian parliament 12 months to rewrite the prostitution laws with a stay of effect so that the current laws remain in force.[6] Amending legislation came into effect on 6 December 2014, which made the purchase of sexual services illegal, using theSwedish approach.[7]
 Greenland | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex legal |
Prostitution inGreenland is illegal. Although the country is subject to thelaw of Denmark in most areas of legislation, Denmark's decriminalization of prostitution in 1999 has not been applied in Greenland.[8] In addition, Greenland is exempt from the obligations of thePalermo Protocol on human trafficking to which Denmark is a signatory,[8] but there is little evidence of human trafficking in Greenland.[9] A report published in 2008 indicated that Greenland had no signs of visible or organised prostitution, no services directed specifically at prostitutes and no instances of prostitution-related court cases. It did, however, refer to claims thattransactional sex had sometimes been used, for example, in return for temporary housing.[8] In a tradition associated withGreenlandic Inuit, hosts have been reported to have offered their wives to guests in a form of "hospitable prostitution".[10][11] The colonists who founded the country's capitalNuuk in 1728 included prostitutes among their number.[12]
 Mexico | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal under Federal law Each state enacts its own prostitution laws Prostitution is legal and regulated in 13 states Buying sex legal |
Prostitution inMexico is legal under Federal law. Each of the 31states enacts its own prostitution laws and policies.[13] 13 of the states of Mexico allow and regulate prostitution.[14] Prostitution involving minors under 18 is illegal.Some Mexican cities have enacted "tolerance zones" ("zonas de tolerancia") which allowregulated prostitution and function asred light districts. InTuxtla Gutiérrez, capital of the state ofChiapas, there is a state-run brothel at theZona Galáctica.[15] In most parts of the country, pimping is illegal, although pimp-worker relationships still occur, sometimes under female pimps called "madrotas".[16] The government provides shelter for former prostitutes.[17]
 United States | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal under Federal Law but prohibited in all states except in licensed brothels in certain rural counties of Nevada, and decriminalized in Maine Buying sex legal under Federal Law but prohibited in all states except in licensed brothels in certain rural counties of Nevada, and decriminalized in Maine No federal brothels law,de facto prohibited in all states except for certain rural counties of Nevada where brothels are licensed and regulated No federal procuring law, prohibited in all states No federal solicitation law, prohibited in all states except in Maine where it is decriminalized |
Prostitution laws in the United States are determined at the state level. The practice is illegal in all but two of its 50 states and is illegal in all U.S. territories.
Nevada is the onlyU.S. jurisdiction which allows some legal prostitution in some of its counties. Currently 7 out of Nevada's 16 counties have active brothels. Prostitution outside these brothels is illegal throughout the state; prostitution is illegal in the major metropolitan areas (Las Vegas,Reno, andCarson City). Prostitution is heavily regulated by the state of Nevada (seeProstitution in Nevada).
Maine partially decriminalized prostitution following theNordic model in 2023.[18]
Recently, states such asNew York andWashington also have considered legalizing or decriminalizing prostitution, but so far proposals have not materialized.[citation needed]
 Belize | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex illegal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution is legal inBelize, but the buying of sexual services is not.[19][20] Associated activities such as operating abrothel, loitering for the purposes of prostitution and soliciting sex are also illegal.[13][21][22][23][24]
Prostitution is widespread and takes place on the streets and in brothels, bars, nightclubs and hotels.
Although denied by the government,[25] the country is a destination forsex tourism.[26][25][27]Child sex tourism is a problem,[28] primarily by visitors from theUnited States.[29]
 Costa Rica | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal |
Prostitution is notillegal but many of the activities surrounding it are illegal,[30] as the law forbids promoting or facilitating the prostitution of another, and thereforepimping,brothels, or prostitution rings are illegal.[31][32][33] Prostitution is common and is practiced openly throughout the country, particularly inpopular tourism destinations.[34][35][36][37] Websites list detailed locations and hotels that allow prostitutes. These online fraternities provide forums for sex tourists to compare experiences and act as a guide for future sex tourists.
 El Salvador | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal under national law but may be prohibited by local laws Buying sex legal under national law but may be prohibited by local laws Brothels legal under national law but may be prohibited by local laws Procuring illegal |
Prostitution itself is not prohibited by national law,[38] but may be prohibited by local municipal ordinances.[39] Municipal ordinances may also prohibit the purchase of sexual services.[39] Related activities such as facilitating, promoting or giving incentives to a person to work as a prostitute (pimping) are illegal. The prostitution of children (those under 18) is also illegal.[38] Brothel ownership, however, is legal.[38] There are no specific laws against human trafficking, but any criminal offence that includes 'commerce in women or children' requires sentencing to be increased by 30%.[40]
Those municipalities that do not prohibit sex work often set up zones for sex workers away from schools and churches.[38] In the San Esteban area ofSan Salvador, 17 brothels were forcibly closed in August 1998 for being too close to schools and churches.[41]
 Guatemala | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels legal Procuring illegal |
Prostitution itself is legal but procuring is prohibited.[38] There is an offence of "aggravated procuring" where a minor is involved.[42] Keeping abrothel is not prohibited.[38]
Prostitution is widespread in Guatemala;Guatemala City alone has 9red-light districts,[43] including La Linea, El Trebol and Parque Concordia.[44] Statistics from the Vigilancia Centinela de las Infecciones de Transmisión Sexual (VICITS) sexual health clinics from 2007 to 2011, showed 10.8 of the sex workers worked on the streets, the rest working indoors at strip clubs, brothels based at residential homes, bars etc.[45]
 Honduras | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal |
Prostitution is currently legal inHonduras.[46] Because there is no law prohibiting prostitution, it is a prevalent form of occupation, especially amongst women and teenagers in cities. Although similar institutions such as brothel ownership and pimping are illegal, prostitution has remained largely unchecked by the government.
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.
 Nicaragua | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal |
Prostitution is legal, but promoting prostitution and procuring are prohibited.[47][38] The minimum age for prostitutes is 14 years old.[47] It was estimated in 2015 that were around 15,000 prostitutes in the country.[48]
Prostitution is common inManagua. Prostitutes work on the streets, in nightclubs and bars, or in massage parlors.
Prostitutes are known locally as "zorras".[49]
 Panama | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal and regulated Buying sex legal Brothels legal and regulated Procuring illegal |
Prostitution is legal andregulated.[13] Prostitutes are required to register and carry identification cards.[50] However, the majority of prostitutes are not registered.[13] 2,650 sex workers were registered with the government in 2008, but there was no accurate information regarding the total number of persons practising prostitution in the country.[51] Some estimate put the number of unregistered prostitutes at 4,000.[52]
The main area of prostitution inPanama City is El Cangrejo.[53][54] Street prostitution also occurs on Avenida Mexico, Central Avenue and Avenida Perú.[55]
 Argentina | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal under Federal law but illegal under local law in some areas Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal |
Prostitution (exchanging sex for money) is legal under Federal law. Article 19 of theconstitution states:"The private actions of people that do not offend in any way the public order and morality, nor damage a third person, are only reserved to God, and are exempt from the authority of the magistrates."[38] Organised prostitution (brothels, prostitution rings and pimping) is illegal.[56][57][58][59][60] In addition, individualprovinces may place further restriction on the trade.[61] For example, inSan Juan, publicly offering sex services for money if punishable by up to 20 days in jail.[61] In 2012, newspapers were banned from carrying classified-ads offering sexual services.[61]
 Bolivia | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal by registered prostitutes in licensed brothels Buying sex legal Brothels legal and regulated Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
InBolivia, prostitution is legal and regulated.[62][63] It is only permitted by registered prostitutes in licensed brothels.[13] Prostitutes must register and must undergo regular health checks for sexually transmitted diseases (every 20 days). The police are allowed to check whether the prostitutes are registered or not, and have attended a clinic during the previous 20 days.[13]
In 2016UNAIDS estimated there were 30,523 prostitutes in the country.[64]
 Brazil | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution that is the exchange of sex for money as there are no laws forbidding adults from being professional sex workers,[65] but it is illegal to operate abrothel or to employ sex workers in any other way.[66] Public order and vagrancy laws are used against street prostitutes.[13] The affordability of prostitutes is the most inquired-about term in word completion queries on purchases on Google.[67]
A 2013 survey published byUNAIDS estimated there to be 546,848 prostitutes in the country.[68]
 Chile | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal and regulated Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Adult prostitution is legal, subject to regulation, but related activities such as keeping brothels and pimping are prohibited.[38][13][69] Several hundred women were registered as prostitutes with the National Health Service,[69] and undergo mandatory medical examinations.[13]
Although illegal, brothels are set up in the more remote areas ofChile in ports, mining towns, logging areas or anywhere where there are men working away from home.[70]
 Colombia | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal and regulated in brothels in designated tolerance zones Buying sex legal Brothels legal in designated tolerance zones Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution is legal, regulated and limited to brothels in designated "tolerance zones".[71][72] Sex workers are required to regular health checks.[13] However the laws are rarely applied and prostitution is widespread,[72] partly due to poverty and internal displacement.[73]
Domestically,organized crime networks, some related to illegal armed groups, are responsible forhuman trafficking forsexual slavery and the armed conflict has made a large number of internal trafficking victims vulnerable.[71]
UNAIDS estimate there to be 7,218 prostitutes in the country.[74]
 Ecuador | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal by registered prostitutes in licensed brothels Buying sex legal Brothels legal and regulated Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution is legal and regulated, as long as the prostitute is over the age of 18,[13] registered, and works from a licensed brothel.[13] Prostitution is widespread throughout the country.[75][76][77][78] Many brothels and prostitutes operate outside the regulatory system and the regulations have been less strictly enforced in recent years.[13] 25,000 prostitutes were registered in 2000.[79] In 2007 it was estimated that 70% of the prostitutes in the country were fromColombia.[80] The country attracts Colombian prostitutes as the currency is theUS$ rather than the unstableColombian peso.[79]
Quito was the first city in Ecuador to regulate prostitution in 1921, requiring prostitutes to be tested weekly forSTIs and the results recorded in the "Register of Venereal Disease". Testing and any necessary treatment was free to the prostitutes.[81]Guayaquil andRiobamba introduced a similar system of regulation in 1925.[81] In 1939, about 1,000 prostitutes were registered in Quito.[81]
 Falkland Islands | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution in theFalkland Islands is legal but related activities such as solicitation and keeping a brothel are prohibited by the Crimes Ordinance 2014.[82] A man compelling his wife to become a prostitute is a grounds for divorce under the Matrimonial Proceedings (Summary Jurisdiction) Ordinance 1967.[83] Soldiers returning from tours on the islands report little or no prostitution in the Falkland Islands.[84]
 French Guiana | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex legal |
Although illegal, prostitution inFrench Guiana is common, especially in the gold mining areas of the interior.[85] Some people are driven into prostitution by poverty.[86] TheHIV rate is the highest of any French territory, and sex workers are at risk due to inconsistentcondom use.[87]
 Guyana | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex legal |
Prostitution is illegal but widespread.[13] Prostitution law is antiquated and dates from the colonial era.[88] Law enforcement is inconsistent and sex workers report violence and abuse by the police.[13][89] Many turn to prostitution for economic reasons and the lack of other job opportunities.[90] Prostitution continues to receive greater public attention due to the high incidence ofHIV/AIDS among prostitutes.[91] Prostitution in the country is separated into three types: "uptown", servicing affluent clients,[92] "downtown", servicing the working classes,[92] and mining sites.[93]
 Paraguay | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution is legal for persons over the age of 18,[94] but related activities such as brothel keeping are prohibited.[38] Prostitution is common in the country. Brothels are also common, even some rural villages have a small bar/brothel on the outskirts.[95]
Whilst there is no red-light district in the capital,Asunción, street prostitution is widespread in the city centre, especially around Plaza Uruguaya.[96] Brothels are also common in the city centre.[96] Prostitutes can also be found in bars and discos.[95]
 Peru | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal and regulated Buying sex legal Brothels legal and regulated |
Prostitution between adults is legal for women and men over 18 years of age if they register with municipal authorities and carry a health certificate.[97]Brothels must be licensed. The vast majority of prostitutes work in theinformal sector, where they lack health protection.[98][99][97] Individual police officers tolerate the operation of unlicensed brothels.[100]
 Suriname | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex legal |
Prostitution is illegal[38] but widespread and the laws are rarely enforced.[101]Human trafficking[101] andchild prostitution[102] are problems in the country. Prostitutes are known locally as "motyo".
Although prostitution is illegal, the country issues temporarywork permits to migrant prostitutes travelling through Suriname en route to another country.[102]
Prostitutes often rent rooms in hotels and attract clients in the hotel's bar or outside the hotel.[103]
 Uruguay | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal and regulated Buying sex legal Brothels legal and regulated Procuring illegal Solicitation restricted |
Prostitution was legislated in 2002 through the sex work law (17.515).[104]Before that, prostitution was unlegislated but was not illegal, since the constitution allows any activity that is not explicitly forbidden by law.
UNAIDS estimate there to be 8,195 prostitutes inUruguay.[105]
 Venezuela | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal and regulated Buying sex legal Brothels legal and regulated Procuring illegal |
Sex work inVenezuela is legal and regulated. The country's Ministry of Health and Social Development requires sex workers to carry identification cards and to have monthly health checkups. Prostitution is common, particularly inCaracas and in other domestic tourist destinations.[106] The Venezuelan sex work industry arose in conjunction with the oil industry of the twentieth century and continues today.
 Anguilla | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution is legal inAnguilla, but related activities such as brothel keeping, are illegal under sections 171 - 181 of the Criminal Code.[107] Brothels are common on the island, and most villages have a 'sports bar' where prostitutes work. These bars have bedrooms at the back that the prostitutes use. Many of the prostitutes are from Venezuela. Law enforcement turns a blind eye to these activities.[108]
 Antigua and Barbuda | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution inAntigua and Barbuda is legal[13] and common.[109] Related activities such asbrothel keeping andsolicitation are prohibited.[13] UNAIDS estimate there to be 755 prostitutes on the islands,[110] the majority are migrants from otherCaribbean countries. They tend to more around the Caribbean, never staying in one territory for long.[111] Prostitution is on the rise due to economic conditions,[112]
In the capital,St. John's, there is ared-light district in Popeshead Street.[113] The most famous brothel in the street was Wendy's. It had operated for a number of years and was a household name on the island.[114] In 2016 the owners were charged withtrafficking.[115] A 'rescue mission' raided the establishment in 2018, looking for trafficking victims. The nearby 'Jam Dung' was also raided.[116]
 Bahamas | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution in theBahamas is legal but related activities such as brothel keeping and solicitation are prohibited.[13] The country is a sex tourism destination, including "all in" tours.[92] UNAIDS estimate there are 3,000 prostitutes in the Bahamas.[117]
During theRepublic of Pirates (c. 1706 – 1718),Nassau and the rest ofNew Providence Island was a paradise of drinking and prostitution forpirates.[118][119]
Sex trafficking is a problem on the island.[120]
 Barbados | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution inBarbados is legal but related activities such as brothel keeping and solicitation are prohibited.[13] The country is asex tourism destination.[121]
There is ared-light district in Nelson street, andstreet prostitution around The Garrison.[121] About half of the prostitutes are fromGuyana.[121]
Sex trafficking is a problem in the country.[120]
 British Virgin Islands | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution is legal in theBritish Virgin Islands, but related activities such assoliciting andprocuring are illegal.[122] Known prostitutes or those known to be living off the proceeds of prostitution can be refused entry visas to the country.[123] Prostitution occurs mainly in brothels andstrip clubs. The National AIDS Programme distributescondoms and advice to the sex workers.[124]
 Cayman Islands | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal |
Prostitution in theCayman Islands is legal but related activities such as brothel keeping are prohibited by the Penal Code.[125]
 Cuba | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal |
Prostitution in Cuba has always been a legal profession, though it has periodically been regulated or repressed.[126] Since the commencement of theSpecial Period in the early 1990s it has become associated withjineterismo, a category of illegal or semi-legal economic activities related totourism in Cuba. The low level ofHIV/AIDS infection and the relatively inexpensive price of sex have made the island popular with foreigners as a sex tourism destination.[127]
 Dominica | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Prostitution inDominica is legal[13] and common.[128] Related activities such as brothel keeping and solicitation are prohibited.[13] Law enforcement is lax.[46]
 Dominican Republic | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal |
Prostitution is legal, but a third party may not derive financial gain from prostitution (brothels or similar establishments are illegal).[129] However, the government usually does not enforce prostitution laws.[130][131]
It is estimated between 60,000 and100,000 women work asprostitutes in the country,[132] many from neighbouringHaiti.[132]
 Dutch Caribbean | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal and regulated Buying sex legal Brothels legal and regulated Procuring illegal |
Prostitution in the Dutch Caribbean (Aruba,Bonaire,Curaçao,Saba,Sint Eustatius andSint Maarten) is legal and regulated.[88] There are legal brothels inBonaire,[92]Sint Maarten,[88] andCuracao, the largest of which isCampo Alegre.[88]
Curaçao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten are destination islands for women trafficked for the sex trade from Peru, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti,[133] In 2011, a human trafficking ring was broken up after trafficking women for sex exploitation from Colombia to Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire.[134]
 Grenada | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex legal |
Prostitution inGrenada is illegal but common.[135] It is practised discreetly and there are few convictions.[135]
| Guadeloupe | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex illegal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
Despite the law, prostitution occurs inGuadeloupe. The old town centre ofPointe-à-Pitre is taken over by prostitutes from theDominican Republic plying their trade after dark,[136][137] and abandoned houses are turned into makeshift brothels.[138] The Grand-Baie area in the Pointe-à-Pitre suburb ofLe Gosier is also known for prostitution,[139] as isSaint-François, where many prostitutes work.[139] Dominican prostitutes also work from bars inLe Gosier.[140]
 Haiti | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex legal |
Prostitution is illegal,[141][142] but the country used to be a premier destination in the 1970s forsex tourism for adults. Since the 1940s, prostitution rings made up ofDominican women have circulated about the capital and today, are found in the suburb ofPétion-Ville. A premium is placed on Dominican women due to their lighter skin and mixed race appearance.[143]
 Jamaica | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex legal |
Prostitution inJamaica is illegal but widely tolerated,[144][121] especially in tourist areas.[13]
The island is a destination forsex tourism.[92] TheTerry McMillan novel, and later film,How Stella Got Her Groove Back, was based onfemale sex tourism in Jamaica.[92]Transactional sex also occurs.[92]
Sex trafficking is a problem in the country.[120]
 Martinique | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex illegal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
The first laws on prostitution inMartinique were passed in the 1850s. They were designed to keep prostitutes away from public areas but were poorly enforced.[145] In the 1930s, after the emergence of tourism and the start ofWW2, a new set of laws were enabled. The new laws targeted prostitution in the bars and restaurants ofFort-de-France, which the colonial authorities believed were a major factor ofSTIs.[145] As a result, all waitresses and hostesses had to have a valid "certificat de non contagiosité", whether they were prostitutes or not. The aim of the authorities was to move all prostitution into brothels. The women were reluctant to work in the brothels, so prostitution remained in the bars and restaurants.[145]
 Montserrat | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal |
Prostitution inMontserrat is legal[146] and common.[147] However related activities such as controlling prostitution or living off the earnings of prostitution are prohibited by the Penal Code.[146]
Following the eruption of theSoufrière Hills Volcano in 1997 that buried the capital,Plymouth, many migrant workers came to the island from Guyana, Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.[148] With them came prostitutes, especially from the Dominican Republic,[147] and prostitution on the island increased.[148]
 Puerto Rico | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex illegal |
Prostitution in Puerto Rico has always been seen as taboo and illegal. However, due to the declining economy, the Puerto Rican government considered legalizing prostitution in 2014.[149][150][needs update?]
 Saint Kitts and Nevis | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex legal |
Prostitution inSaint Kitts and Nevis is illegal in Section 40 of the Small Charges Act CAP 4.36 .[38]
 Saint Lucia | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex legal |
Prostitution is illegal but tolerated.[38] Prostitution laws are rarely enforced.[46] There are reports that strip clubs are used as fronts for prostitution, and that some are owned, or protected by corrupt police officials.[46]
The country is a destination forfemale sex tourism.[144]
Sex trafficking[120] andchild prostitution[151] are problems in the country.
| Saint Martin | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal Solicitation illegal |
The growth of tourism starting in the 1970s caused an increase in prostitution inSaint Martin.[152] Although outlawed in 1946 by the "Loi de Marthe Richard", brothels were tolerated until the introduction of the new Penal code in 1991.[152] One hotel, now closed, was reserved for French civil servants and reputedly offered the guests European prostitutes.[152]
Despite laws prohibiting soliciting, street prostitution still exists, especially in theQuartier-d'Orleans.[153][154]
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex legal |
Prostitution inSaint Vincent and the Grenadines is illegal but occurs.[38]
Sex trafficking is a problem in the country.[120]
 Trinidad and Tobago | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex legal |
Prostitution in Trinidad and Tobago is illegal and related activities such as brothel keeping, soliciting and pimping are illegal.[13]
InTrinidad,Port of Spain is the main place of sex work,[155][156] including street prostitution on Roberts and Murray Streets.[157] Newbrothels continue to open across the country, particularly in the south where they are incorporated into small bars and rum shops and are difficult to detect, and in central, where they operate out of a normal-looking flats in a neighbourhood.[158] Many of the sex workers come from Colombia, Venezuela and Cuba. Some regularly commute between their home nation and Trinidad.[159]
Prostitution in less common inTobago, some prostitutes from Trinidad move to Tobago for the tourist season.[160][161]
 Turks and Caicos Islands | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution legal Buying sex legal Brothels illegal Procuring illegal |
Prostitution is common on theTurks and Caicos Islands, especially inProvidenciales.[162] Many of the sex workers are from Eastern Europe and the Dominican Republican.[163] There is somefemale sex tourism on the islands.[163]Sex trafficking[164] andHIV[163] are problems in the country.
 U.S. Virgin Islands | |
|---|---|
| Prostitution illegal Buying sex legal |
Prostitution in theU.S. Virgin Islands is illegal[165] but occurs.[166][167]
In 1985, 68 prostitutes were smuggled fromSint Maarten toSaint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands in a sealed shipping container, of whom 28 died of suffocation.[168]
...prostitution is not penalized in the country, but a third-party soliciting clients for a prostitute (proxenetismo) is committing a crime(free translation from Spanish)
...There are no specific laws against sex tourism, which was growing
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