NCJ Number
122753
Date Published
1990
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The American Civil Liberties Union opposes laws that single out female prostitutes or any other single group for mandatory testing for HIV antibodies, but it supports widespread voluntary access to HIV testing as an important part of counseling and educational efforts.
Abstract
Proposals to test prostitutes rest on the erroneous belief that female prostitutes are spreading HIV into the general population. In fact, the low incidence of heterosexual transmission during vaginal intercourse and the nature of sexual encounters with prostitutes reduces the risk of transmission by female prostitutes. In addition, the absence of medical support for compulsory testing of prostitutes makes it unlikely that such testing programs would survive legal challenges. Furthermore, targeting prostitutes for forced testing will be ineffective as a prevention strategy. Finally, the results of past efforts to control sexually transmitted diseases show the limits of approaches focusing on prostitutes. 12 references.