A German lawmaker's idea of subsidising paid sex for patients who are in need of nursing care has drawn criticism from the authorities.
According to the German Green Party, people with severe health issues should be allowed to claim sex with prostitutes as a medical expense. Reports state that the party said the patients would require a doctor's approval before filing for a sex prescription.
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The opposition party Greens' spokesperson on care policy, Elisabeth Scharfenberg, told a German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that she could imagine authorities "financing sexual assistance," the Associate Press reported.
Local officials could give information about "offers of this kind in the area," and also grant the required funds, Scharfenberg added.
The suggestion of "sex-on-prescription" came from a Netherlands system where applicants are required to prove to the authorities that they cannot pay for a sex worker to cater to their needs and then they can claim sex as a medical expense, the newspaper reported.
Criticising the suggestion, lawmaker Karl Lauterbach of the governing Social Democrats on Monday had told Bild daily that "we don't need paid prostitution in homes for the elderly, and certainly not on prescription."
Germany legalised prostitution in 2002, and brothels currently operate across the country.
