Legalizing Sex Industries or Not? A Comparison of the Growth Rate of Sexual Crimes and STDs Among China Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan

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2019-05
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Abstract
Existing research rarely establishes the relationship between the legitimacy of sex industry and the growth rate of sexual crimes and STDs. I conducted a research on the subject of China mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, because the laws towards sex industry in these three places are different: illegal in China mainland, partly legal in Hong Kong (prostitution is legal, but organizing prostitution is illegal) and legal in Taiwan after 2011; while other variables, such as culture and demographic structure, are similar. First, I compared the growth rate of sexual crimes and STDs in Taiwan before and after 2011. Then, I compared the difference in rate between Taiwan and China mainland before and after 2011. At last, I compared the difference in rate between Taiwan and Hong Kong before and after 2011. Partially legalizing sex industries is not significantly different from illegalizing sex industries in the average growth rate of sexual crimes but is significantly lower than illegalizing sex industries in the growth rate of STDs incidence. On the other hand, generally legalizing sex industries is significantly lower than illegalizing sex industries in the growth rate of sexual crimes but is not significantly from illegalizing sex industries in the growth rate of STDs incidence. In conclusion, legalizing sex industries is significantly lower than illegalizing sex industries in the growth rate of both sexual crimes and STDs incidence. Further research is needed to figure out how to design policies about sex industries to reach the lowest possible growth rate of sexual crimes and STDs incidence.
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sex industry, sexual crime, STDs, China mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan
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