Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti Közlemények 202-205. (Budapest, 2008)
TANULMÁNYOK — ARTICLES - FORRAI, Judit: History of the politics of prostitution in Hungary (19-20th c.). - A 19-20. századi magyar prostitúciópolitika története
Earlier the administrative and medical control of brothels and sexual contact with prostitutes could be defined as criminalization because the medical control was under the management of the police and transgressions were punishable by the police. Women, discouraged by the rigourousness of the process, neglected to get the official registration. The regulations interferred deeply with the private life of the prostitutes, hindered free movement and deprived women of their liberty. At the turn of the century the pragmatical government had no interest in changing occasional courtesans for professional prostitutes. The number of working women showed a growing tendency, consequently, the rate of occasional prostitutes grew also. Medicalization and the introduction of medical control seemed necessary. In the 20th century, in spite of the government's endeavours to fulfill international expectations, namely to close the brothels and repress white-slavery, conservative and antiliberal ideas were dominant which refused the sexual revolution. Premarital sexual contact, either with occasional women or with professional prostitutes, was not tolerated. Still, in the interest of preventing the spread of V.D. , compulsory premarital medical examinations were introduced. Summary of the Socio-medical History of the Regulation 1820-1927 Motives of Reproduction of the Prostitutes a) Women's motives regarding „re-production": Voluntarily taking up prostitution was motivated by financial, familiar, social or emotional reasons. Working places and money earning possibilities were limited for women. b) Motives of „re-production" on behalf of society: Urbanization, changing habits of sexual behavior and morals (double standard), the different male sexual behavior inside and outside of marriage, the introduction of the marriage service at the municipial office was associated with a considerable boom in the sex business.
