ABSTRACT
Mainland China has been affected by the spread of HIV/AIDS over the past several years. Many Chinese, including policymakers, believe that the commercial sex trade is a major means of spreading HIV/AIDS. This chapter argues that state of affairs demonizes an already oppressed group of women and the commercial sex trade is not the primary cause of the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS throughout mainland China. It focuses on developing public policies that not only help slow the spread of HIV/AIDS but also improve the lives of Chinese prostitutes. The chapter desires Chinese policymakers, in accomplishing this task, to base their efforts on three principles. Three principles includes respect for the human dignity of all people, irrespective of their chosen occupation; promotion of distributive justice in families and society; and encouragement of education, including sex education, as the best means to increase people's opportunities for freedom and wellbeing.
