The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) has urged the ACT Government to review the Prostitution Act to prevent confusion over a particular section of the legislation.

The call comes after the case of a Canberra prostitute who has pleaded guilty to charges of giving a commercial service knowing he was infected with a sexually transmittable disease and failing to register as a sex worker.

AFAO executive director Don Baxter says the ACT sex worker has been charged under the section called knowingly infect, which is misleading.

"We think at this stage that's the only one that needs to be changed," he said.

"The Act has some other very good provisions particularly in ensuring that the spirit of the legislation and indeed the content that both the client of the sex worker and the sex worker have a responsibility both a moral one but also a legal one to do safe sex."

Scarlet Alliance chief executive Janelle Fawkes agrees the Prostitution Act needs to be changed.

Ms Fawkes says there also needs to be an investigation into the handling of the case.

"We believe it's caused unnecessary community concern and will ultimately result in discrimination against sex workers, HIV positive people and no doubt the individual involved," she said.

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