Male prostitution is either subsumed under female or categorized as homosexuality. Private transactions are legal, but soliciting, pimping and brothel-keeping are illegal under federal law. Prostitutes' rights organizations have been working to repeal the prostitution laws and to empower prostitutes to improve their working conditions. Illegal and punishable by imprisonment. Prostitutes are required to have health check-ups, but are not allowed to have health insurance.
Brothels are in designated areas and operate only during certain hours.
When a brothel-owner improves the working conditions, this is seen to be stimulating prostitution and they could face prosecution. An active prostitutes' rights movement is based in Berlin. There is a plethora of laws against the sex trade, including one in 1985 to ban devidasis , or temple prostitutes. Devidasis continue to be sold to the temples. Any sexual intercourse outside socially acceptable unions is likely to be regarded as prostitution.