Prostitution in Nevada goes far back into the states history, hearkening back to the time when it was still a territory and not a part of the United States. The brothel, however, or a specified place of business where it is legal to offer sex-related services, has only been legal in the state of Nevada since the early 1970s. Before this time, there were certainly Nevada brothels in many parts of the state, especially Las Vegas, but they were not legal or regulated.
While they have only been legal since the 1970s, Nevada brothels have been quietly tolerated for many years. There is a still open and operating brothel in a town called Elko that has been in business since 1902. In the 1930s, laws were passed in the state that required all prostitutes to undergo weekly health examinations as a way to reduce the risk of transmission of sexually transmitted or other communicable diseases. Thanks to the laws passed in the 70s, these Nevada brothels were able to become legitimate places of business, subject to all the rules and regulations as defined by state law.
Prostitution is only legal when obtained through the services of a registered and licensed Nevada brothel. Brothels are legal, but there are a lot of rules and regulations placed upon them in order to help reduce the likelihood of negative health consequences and moral opposition to the business of prostitution. Nevada brothels are only legal in towns that have less than 400,000 residents. This means that there are no legal brothels in the vaunted City of Sin, Las Vegas.
At current time of writing, there are 28 legal Nevada brothels offering their services. In towns with fewer than 400,000 residents, it is legal to operate a brothel, but there are many town in Nevada that have still chosen to outlaw it altogether. Others choose to allow it, but to further regulate it, on top of the existing state regulations.
In most places, for girls to work at the brothels, they must be 21, but there are some who allow women as young as 18 to work there. Fees for owning and operating a Nevada brothel vary incredibly widely from as little as $200 a year in one county, to upwards of $100,000 a year in another. All women in the industry must provide weekly and monthly cervical sample specimens which are tested for sexually transmitted and other diseases to ensure the safety of the establishments.
Throughout Nevada's history, the brothel has been a quite and accepted part. Though it isn't as outwardly accepted in some areas as others, the fact remains the same that the Nevada brothel has been a part of the history of the state since it became a part of the US. This is the only state in the Union that allows a legalized form of prostitution and the rules and regulations have changed with the times to keep all involved as safe as possible. |
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