The Queensland government has defended its decision to pour $400,000 a year into a new sex-worker advocacy service as promoting safe sex.

The service, due to start next year, may also give away or subsidise safe-sex products to encourage prostitutes to practise safe sex.

Deputy opposition leader and health spokesman Mark McArdle said the scheme was a disgusting waste of money.

But Health Minister Stephen Robertson says the service is important to promoting safe sex.

"This is quite an appropriate expenditure of money as it promotes very important health messages and health education," he told ABC Radio.

"This is a service that has been in existence for a number of years and will continue into the future because we recognise the importance of ongoing education.

"What we've seen in Queensland over the last couple of years has been an increase in the incidence of AIDS in our community."

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