Sex sells: Spain to allow brothels and prostitutes to advertise

They say sex sells; in this case, literally. Last week the Spanish parliament reversed a 2010 ban on advertising by Spanish prostitutes and brothels, ThinkSpain reports. In Spain, prostitution is legal, and it is estimated that 200,000-400,000 women work in the industry. The idea behind the reversal is to stimulate Spain’s poor economy. The sex industry spent approximately €40 million annually on advertising, according to a 2007 report. In late April, the unemployment rate in Spain soared to 24.4 percent. The youth unemployment rate in Spain hovers around 50 percent. Although the rule has temporarily been lifted, the leading party in Spain, the conservative People’s Party, will most likely try to re-ban prostitution ads.