Although similar institutions such as brothel ownership and pimping are illegal in Honduras, prostitution has remained largely unchecked by the government.
[1] Lack of enforcement of current laws has created a profitable business out of prostitution - one in which both adults and children are a part.
In terms of mental effects, 63.3% of commercial sex workers have reported having suicidal behavior in life; this percentage was even higher amongst the women.
It is clear that prostitution in Honduran urban centers has created negative mental health issues among those who work in the field.
Contrary to the belief that prostitution equates to high levels of HIV/AIDS, a medical report[3] from 2006 states that only 2.4% of its sample size of 790 female sex workers had HIV.
[4] Surprisingly, many children who go into prostitution are forced by the parents in order to provide for the family, hence there were high levels of reported abuse in sex workers' childhoods.
In a country where there are low literacy rates in rural areas, there is little opportunity to gain economic prosperity through education.
The agents pay the parents large sums of money up front in exchange for contractual labor done by their children, a form of modern-day slavery.
[4] In terms of health effects, children are more likely to suffer from life-threatening illnesses such as tuberculosis and HIV due to the amount of exposure to others in the work, and the immaturity of their bodies.
Individuals from developed countries come to major Honduran cities like Tegucigalpa in order to have sex with minors because it is legal and cheap.
The number one policy to be put in place is ensuring safe and viable routes to economic prosperity, which means increasing access to education.
Other Central American countries such as Costa Rica have put in educational measures to ensure their young citizens have access to academic and career opportunity.
This means a legal and societal framework to stop traffickers from recruiting these children - support through laws and the community.