Prostitution Growing

The daily Spanish newspaper Al Día reported that there are now about 9.000 prostitutes plying their trade in Costa Rica. The number of prostitutes has increased mainly to the increasing numbers of Dominican, Nicaraguan and Colombian women.Medical authorites are concerned because they have under their medical control only one third of the prostitutes, meaning there are about 6.000 prostitutes out there who are “outside the system”

I have always questioned this whole concept as people are lulled into a false sense of security thinking that the 3,000 registered prostitutes are somehow less risky. It is my understanding though, that AIDs and some other diseases can take months the “show”, and thus, even a newly examined person may be infected and not know it or show positive in tests, But I digress….

Caja has detected some 4.000 cases of HIV in the country, but the real number could be as high as 15.000. As with anything that could remotely affect tourism, the facts may not be quite acuurately given. Transvestites that offer their services at night on the corners of the downtown streets are also of major concern.

Prostitution in Costa Rica is perfectly legal, but procuring (pimping) is not. Thus, as sexual tourism is, like it or not, an important part of Costa Rica tourism industry, I want to provide warning to any visitor that you should NOT trust the “system” to protect you. Protect yourself!