45 males rounded up by police in the Papua New Guinea capital, Port Moresby, in a clamp down on prostitution at the weekend, have been released.
But 31 women arrested at the same time have since been charged.
The men and women were arrested at a Three Mile guesthouse on Friday on suspicion of prostitution.
The men have been let go because police concluded that there are no provisions in the law to charge male sex workers.
However, the Post Courier newspaper quotes a senior government lawyer disputing that, saying the Summary Offences Act is not designed to single out women.
And the lawyer for the National Aids Council, Bomal Gonapa, says it is not fair for the alleged male prostitutes to have been released.
Meanwhile the 31 women, including nine juveniles, have appeared in the Boroko District Court for mention on prostitution charges.
They were granted bail and will go to trial in two weeks.
