Well, in the lyrical musings of James Taylor "a prostitute is like any other woman, they all trade something for sex". That said, your bribing a woman for sex whenever you take her out on a date. How much do you spend taking a woman to the pictures, or out to diner, the payment in shelter, emotional reasurance? Saying payment with money is bad, but bribary with gifts and other non cash prizes is ok seems a bit off. Let it be legal, so long as there are health checks, and its taxable. It will boost moral amoungst the masses, and provide a good source of income for the state. For the person who says it is against the judeo-christian teachings, read your fucking history. In the pre-babylonian occupation period of Judaism, there were sacred prostitutes at the major temples (hunt.et al p.234). The Catholic church was all cool with hookers as it made dosh, and made people happy, until there was a moral crusade due to the Black death.