The debate over whether sex workers or consumers should be penalized reflects long-standing tensions between morality, law, public health, and human rights. Historically, most legal systems treated prostitution as a public order issue, often criminalizing sex workers while tolerating or ignoring demand. Over time, this asymmetry shaped underground economies, social stigma, and inconsistent enforcement across countries and eras. In the late twentieth century, the debate evolved alongside feminist theory, labor rights movements, and public health research. Sex work began to be examined not only as a moral issue but as an economic activity shaped by inequality, migration, gender dynamics, and state regulation. This shift reframed the question from individual behavior to structural responsibility: who holds power in the transaction, and who should bear legal accountability. Modern policy models vary widely, from full criminalization to decriminalization and buyer-focused approaches. Each reflects a different interpretation of consent, exploitation, autonomy, and harm. The debate today is less about the existence of sex work and more about how societies define responsibility.