Since there is no scientific evidence that implicates U.S. female prostitutes significantly in the transmission of the AIDS virus through sexual contact with their male customers, it may be a political and legal futility to use punitive legislative measures to "control" such activity. Coercive and punitive measures are unlikely to alter the behavior of women engaged in consensual sexual relations with their customers, especially where such activity constitutes their livelihood. It is unlikely that punitive strategies will stop the spread of the AIDS virus, since there has yet to be a documented case of a female U.S. prostitute sexually transmitting the virus to a male customer. Noncoercive measures such as education would contribute at least as much to public health as coercive measures against such prostitutes. Since data indicate that transmission of the HIV through intravenous drug use is a greater risk than sexual transmission for female prostitutes, education in this area as well as the distribution of clean needles could do more to ensure public health than the coercive and punitive measures currently embodied in legislation. 45 references