[2][3][4] Although the number of registered prostitutes is low, many work illegally, especially since the closure of most of the red-light districts as a consequence of the Jasmine Revolution in 2011.
[10] In 1889, a regularity system was introduced,[10] and biweekly medical examinations for prostitutes were made mandatory to try to stop the spread of syphilis.
[12] Still controlled by Vichy France, the Tunisian government legalised the status of sex workers as "fonctionnaires" (civil servants) in 1942.
[14] Prior to the 2011 Jasmine Revolution, there were around 300 legal sex workers in about 12 areas including Tunis, Sfax, Sousse, Gabès and Kairouan.
All but those in Tunis[1] and Sfax[15] were closed, those two being saved by the action of locals preventing the fundamentalists entering the areas until police and military arrived.
[citation needed] Tunisia is a source, destination, and possible transit country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking.
Tunisian women have reportedly been forced into prostitution under false promises of work both within the country and elsewhere in the region, such as Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.