Health security

Prostitute prescriptions: German Greens slammed for state-funded sex proposal

Germany’s Greens party has been praised and criticized for suggesting sex services provided by prostitutes for people struggling with severe health conditions should be paid for by the government.

Doctors should be given a right to prescribe sex with prostitutes just like prescribing a drug, Green Party’s spokeswoman Elisabeth Scharfenberg told the German “Welt am Sonntag” newspaper.

“I can imagine public financing of sexual assistance,” Scharfenberg said.

The people in need would have to receive medical certificates confirming that they can’t get sexual satisfaction in another way, as well as providing documents proving that they are not able to pay sex workers by themselves.

“Municipalities could discuss appropriate offers on site and grants they would need,” Scharfenberg also said.

The Greens’ initiative takes after the Netherlands, where people have been allowed to pay for sexual services as medical expenses with their health insurance for a couple of years already.