Health Consultant on Human Trafficking for the Christian Medical Association
Position:
Con to the question "Should prostitution be legal?"
Reasoning:
"Even if a prostitute is being tested every week for HIV, she will test negative for at least the first 4-6 weeks and possibly the first 12 weeks after being infected. If we assume that he or she takes only 4 weeks to become positive, because there is an additional lag time of 1-2 weeks to get the results back, there will be at best a window period of 6 weeks for a prostitute. The average prostitute services between 10-15 clients per day. This means that while the test is becoming positive and the results are becoming known, that prostitute may expose up to 630 clients to HIV. This is under the best of circumstances with testing every week and a four-week window period. It also assumes that the prostitute will quit working as soon as he or she finds out the test is HIV positive, which is highly unlikely. This is not the best approach for actually reducing harm. Instead, in order to slow the global spread of HIV/AIDS we should focus our efforts on abolishing prostitution."
Experts
Individuals with MDs, JDs, PhDs, other relevant advanced degrees, and government officials with significant involvement in, or related to, prostitution issues.
Involvement and Affiliations:
Health Consultant, Human Trafficking, Christian Medical Association, 2005-present
Director, Medical Education International (MEI), Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA), 2002-2005
Obstetrician and Gynecologist
Fellow, American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Education:
DO, College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, Des Moines, Iowa, 1978
