Child Prostitution

Like other forms of child sexual abuse, Child prostitution is not only a cause of death and high morbidity in millions of children, but also a sickening violation of their rights and dignity. Both boys and girls can be prostituted and, according to reports, some are as young as 10 years old. Most of these children are exploited by local men, although some are also prostituted by pedophiles and foreign tourists. Investigators estimate the number of children exploited by prostitution is highest in India with estimates between 400,000 and 575,000; Brazil is second with estimates between 100,000 and 500,000; the US is third with 300,000 children; and in fourth place is Thailand and China with 200,000 children each.

In regards to illnesses millions of children are infected with sexually transmitted diseases, have abortions, attempt suicide and are raped each year. In parts of Southeast Asia, between 50 and 90% of children rescued from brothels are infected with HIV.

Looking at India’s problem with sex slavery is much more complicated than looking at other Third World countries that have sex slaves. This is because India has roots of sex slavery in its culture, traditions and religion. In many Indian societies, the practice of Devdasi is widely accepted. Devdasi is where young girls are “married” to the “gods” and they then become religious prostitutes, sleeping with priests and others. This act of Devdasi is technically illegal, after the Prohibition of Dedication Act was passed in 1982. However, no one pays any heed to those laws, as many believe it is part of their culture to continue these acts.

There is also the mistaken belief in India that younger children have fewer chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Also, people