The Mexican border city of Tijuana, a weekend playground for U.S. visitors, plans to give prostitutes electronic health cards and regulate brothels in
an effort to clean up its gritty image.
Under a bylaw passed last month, the city is forcing about 50 clandestine brothels to meet public safety and hygiene standards, like putting clean
sheets on beds, or face closure.
"We have a lot of prostitution but few controls," Martha Montejano, head of the council's health and human development commission, said on Wednesday.
"This aims to combat sexually transmitted diseases and bring order to the massage parlors."
Prostitution is illegal in Mexico but brothels are often left alone by law enforcement agents.
Under the regulation, some 7,000 male and female sex workers in Tijuana, a city of 1.2 million people, will carry health cards with a computer chip to
show they have passed monthly health checks.
The Tijuana bylaw is due to come into force in the coming days, perhaps as early as Friday, and a team of 30 inspectors already has begun visits to
brothels, which are often thinly disguised as massage parlors.
The bylaw is the first serious attempt to regulate the sex trade in the city, which has served as a playground of bars, brothels and racetracks for
visitors from California since the U.S. prohibition era in the 1920s.
Brothel operators back the measure, which they say allows them to operate in the open for the first time, while providing safeguards for both sex
workers and clients.
"It makes it safer for everyone involved," a brothel manager called Jorge told Reuters at a massage parlor close to Avenida Revolucion, a strip of
gaudy tourist bars. "The girls and the clients are better off and it means the authorities can't close us down if we comply."
The Tijuana bylaw, similar to regulations in cities like Monterrey and the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, has been criticized by some opposition
councilors.
"It's like throwing up your hands and saying that we've been beaten by the problem of prostitution," said opposition councilor Luis Ledezma of the
conservative National Action Party. "We think it definitely goes too far."
Good News
MrBillM - 8-18-2005 at 05:04 PM
It's Great to see some good news posted here. When I first read that they were going to clean it up, I worried that meant stamp it out. It's tough
to see old traditions die.Bruce R Leech - 8-18-2005 at 05:25 PM
corruption Will take care of that in about one week. Mexico has lots of good laws and programs on the books. but with only corrupt law enforcement and
government what chance dose a program like this have?Al G - 8-18-2005 at 06:37 PM
This may be a good thing!
Think I'll call my doctor for some Viagra. Bruce R Leech - 8-18-2005 at 06:47 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Al G
This may be a good thing!
Think I'll call my doctor for some Viagra.
might be a good idea to see about some penicillin also just in case.comitan - 8-18-2005 at 06:54 PM
Bruce
You called it right, what chance dose a program like this have.
Bruce
Baja Bernie - 8-18-2005 at 07:56 PM
Something a lot of us forget--you gotta have good laws on the books, or at least laws, before you can have corruption. They really go hand in hand
especially in Baja and the rest of the world for that matter.
Good medical advise and I'm sure you are a registered health care giver in Mulege.
