Our Latest Updates – Archive

NEW ProCon.org Website! – 2020 Presidential Election: The Candidates and Where They Stand on the Issues
8/29/2019 -

Learn about the presidential candidates’ views on important issues, compare them with a side-by-side chart, find your best match with a fun quiz, track their finances, and so much more on our 2020 Presidential Election website. The New York Times called our previous presidential election site “The most comprehensive tool for researching the candidate’s stance on issues.” Check back monthly for expanded issue coverage.

New ProCon.org Website! – Should Birth Control Pills Be Available Over-the-Counter?
2/21/2019 -

Our new topic explores the pros and cons in the debate over making birth control pills available over-the-counter (OTC). 9.1 million women (12.6% of contraceptive users) use birth control pills, which are the second-most commonly used method of contraception in the United States. Proponents say making the birth control pill available over-the-counter would lower teen pregnancy rates, provide contraceptive access to medically underserved women, and ease access to a health-improving drug with decades of safe use. Opponents say making the Pill over-the-counter would raise the cost of contraception for women, pose a danger to teens’ and women’s health by removing the doctor’s visit requirement, and limit what options are made available.

Our new website presents the top pro & con arguments and quotes, a history of the debate, a video gallery, the prescription status of birth control pills around the world, and a list of drugs switched from prescription to OTC status.

Researcher Wanted at Educational Nonprofit ProCon.org
1/17/2019 -

ProCon.org, a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity,
seeks an in-house Researcher (full-time with benefits or part-time
without benefits) to develop content for websites devoted to a
nonpartisan in-depth presentation of 70+ controversial issues. Three
items are required for application, as specified in the job notice.

50 Lesson Plan Ideas Using ProCon.org
7/16/2018 -

We’re excited to announce 50 free lesson plan ideas for educators! Visit our Teachers’ Corner for inspiration, including lessons plans about distinguishing fact from opinion, how to write a “call-to-action” letter, and content from our partner Credo Reference.

US and State Prostitution Arrests, 2001-2016
5/14/2018 -

See the total prostitution arrest numbers for each state and the nation in our newly updated resource, and discover which 10 states had the most prostitution arrests per 10,000 people (Nevada was number one with 10.83) and the total number of arrests (California was number one with 7,601).

US Federal and State Prostitution Laws and Related Punishments
5/4/2018 -

Prostitution is illegal in the United States with the exception of 10 Nevada counties. Examine our updated resource detailing the laws and penalties of all 50 states, DC, and the US federal government.

100 Countries and Their Prostitution Policies
4/23/2018 -

Of the 100 countries featured in our chart, prostitution is legal in 53, limitedly legal in 12, and illegal in 35. Review our updated resource for links to laws and other snippets of information.

Opinion Polls/Surveys on Legalizing Prostitution
3/29/2018 -

In 1978, 24% of respondents thought prostitution should be legal; in 2016 this number had risen to 49%. See our updated resource containing results from opinion polls and surveys on the topic of prostitution from 1978 to 2016.

Should Prostitution Be Legal?
3/6/2018 -

Examine updated pro and con quotes from former sex workers Gaye Dalton (Pro) and Rachel Moran (Con), retired police captain Marshall Frank (Pro), and police lieutenant Donna Gavin (Con), among many other experts.

Is Prostitution a Victimless Crime?
3/6/2018 -

Explore pro and con quotes on this controversial topic including from Professor of Law Sherry F. Colb, Executive Director of New Friends New Life Katie Perdigo (Con), crime analyst Wendy C. Garfinkle (Pro), and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (Con).

Does Legal Prostitution Lead to Human Trafficking and Slavery?
3/6/2018 -

Consider both sides of this debate with quotes from the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Australia (Pro), Assistant Professor at the University of Tampa Dr. Abigail R. Hall-Blanco (Con), Founder and CEO of the Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) Rachel Lloyd (Pro), and the Bureau of the Dutch National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings (Con), among many other experts and organizations.

Should the Government Collect Taxes from Prostitution?
3/6/2018 -

Read our updated question with pro and con quotes from experts and organizations including Nevada brothel owner Dennis Hof (Pro), journalist and Co-founder of Justice for Women Julie Bindel (Con), the International Committee for Prostitutes’ Rights (Pro), and former Co-Executive Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) Janice Raymond (Con).

Legal Prostitution Top 10 Pro & Cons
2/28/2018 -

Read the main arguments in the debate over whether prostitution should be legal, with a look at issues including the morality of prostitution, human trafficking, health, and economics.

Updated: How Many Prostitutes Are in the United States and the Rest of the World?
1/11/2018 -

As many as 42 million men, women, and children are working as prostitutes worldwide – whether by choice or through forced slavery – with one to two million of them in the United States.

Updated: Would Legal Prostitution Better Protect Prostitutes from Violence?
1/4/2018 -

Examine updated pro and con quotes from the Sex Workers Outreach Project-USA (Pro), President of FEMEN International Association Inna Shevchenko (Con), Assistant Professor of Journalism at West Virginia University Alison Bass (Pro), and Norma Ramos, Executive Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (Con), among many other experts.