In an earlier paper (Willcox, 1960) it was shown that prostitutes in Asia are heavily infected with venereal disease, and in a second paper (Willcox, 1961) the proportion of venereal disease in the general population which was caught from prostitutes in a number of Asian countries is contrasted with the situation in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. In Asia most venereal infections are contracted from prostitutes whereas in the other countries listed, this is not so, the professional prostitute having been largely replaced by the "good-time girl". In the present paper various social factors relating to prostitution are considered. Kinsey, Pomeroy, and Martin (1948) noted that the world's literature contained hundreds of volumes attempting to assay the social significance of prostitution: "For an activity which contributes no more than it does to the sexual outlet of the Ameri can male population, it is amazing that it should have been given such widespread consideration". Prostitution is but one of several means by which the venereal diseases are spread. Freed (1953) indi cated that the incidence of these diseases varied