Studies of women involved in either prostitution or addiction or both have been limited. Explanations for this relative absence of basic work are varied: (1) the preponderance of male addicts; (2) the negative attitude of researchers toward subjects involving sexuality; (3) the low number of female researchers; (4) bias on the part of both sexes; and (5) the general lack of interest in the study of female populations. The author points out that women offenders are often stereotyped by preconceived views of appropriate female behavior and are described in terms of a flagrant sexual double standard that is rarely examined closely by researchers. This review briefly summarizes literature in sociology/criminology, psychology/psychiatry, and anthropology. There are significant connections between addiction and prostitution, and changes in prostitution laws cannot realistically be made in isolation from changes in narcotics laws. The author concludes that, by failing to examine the dynamics of prostitution and addiction from the multiple perspectives noted above, each discipline has not provided a practical understanding of the situation. In the end, the literature says little because of the absence of controls, completeness, or objectivity. Tables, references