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The Royal College of Nursing is calling for prostitution to be legalised to enable better access to services for sex workers, writes Maria Ahmed.

The Liverpool branch of the RCN is submitting a resolution to an RCN conference next week for debate in the run-up to the general election.

The resolution says: “Prostitution has significant consequences for the individuals involved, as well as for the wider community; it can involve the abuse of children and the abuse of adults. There are also close links with sexually-transmitted infection, including HIV, along with major problems relating to drug use, and in some cases crime too.”

The RCN want to see a “co-ordinated strategy” by health and social care organisations to address the problems faced by sex workers.

Countries including Holland, Germany and Australia have created managed zones for street prostitution and licensed brothels, where the health and safety of prostitutes is managed by local authorities.

The resolution adds: “Research indicates that these initiatives have resulted in significant improvements in the health of male and female prostitutes and have helped to reduce the levels of exploitation and violence.”

In July 2004, the government launched a consultation paper, Paying the Price, in England and Wales to review the current legislation relating to prostitution. The Home Office admitted the legislation was “outdated, confusing and ineffective.”

In Scotland, proposed legislation to allow councils to set up designated tolerance zones for prostitutes under the Prostitution Tolerance Zones (Scotland) Bill has been postponed for the third time until October.