Prostitution is illegal in the majority of African countries. For these reasons, some African countries have also become destinations for sex tourism. Long distance truck drivers have been identified as a group with the high-risk behaviour of sleeping with prostitutes and a tendency to spread the infection along trade routes in the region. Legality of prostitution in the 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. In Asia , the main characteristic of the region is the very big discrepancy between the laws which exist on the books and what occurs in practice.
For example, in Thailand prostitution is illegal, [4] but in practice it is tolerated and partly regulated, and the country is a destination for sex tourism. Such situations are common in many Asian countries.
In Japan , prostitution is legal [5] with the exception of heterosexual, vaginal intercourse. Advertisements that detail what each individual prostitute will do oral sex, anal sex, etc. In India , prostitution is legal only if carried out in the private residence of a prostitute or others. Child prostitution is a serious problem in this region. Past surveys indicate that 30 to 35 percent of all prostitutes in the Mekong sub-region of Southeast Asia are between 12 and 17 years of age.
The most common legal system in the European Union is that which allows prostitution itself the exchange of sex for money but prohibits associated activities brothels, pimping, etc. Prostitution remains illegal in most of the ex-communist countries of Eastern Europe. In Sweden , [8] Northern Ireland , [9] Norway , [10] Iceland , [11] and France [12] it is illegal to pay for sex the client commits a crime, but not the prostitute.
