The legality of prostitution in Asia varies by country. In Asia, the main characteristic of the region is the significant discrepancy between the prostitution laws which exist on the books and what occurs in practice. Child prostitution is a serious problem in this region. Past surveys indicate that 30 to 35 percent of all prostitutes in the Mekong sub-region of Southeast Asia are between 12 and 17 years of age. The Asian region has the lowest incidence 5.

I was too busy thinking about what I know of the immigrant Asian women who often work in those types of businesses — how harsh their work conditions often are, how lonely and difficult it can be for them to adapt to a new country. I pictured the many Asian nail technicians, massage therapists and other service workers I had encountered over the years — chatty, warm, friendly women who were happy to talk to you about their hometowns or give you relationship advice if you asked them. I thought of the friends I had whose mothers had owned nail or hair salons.

The report suggests that in spite of Asia's economic crisis, the economic and social forces driving the sex industry show no signs of slowing down, particularly in light of rising unemployment in the region. According to Ms. Lin Lim, the ILO official who directed the study, "If the evidence from the recession of the mids is any indication, then it is very likely that women who lose their jobs in manufacturing and other service sectors and whose families rely on their remittances may be driven to enter the sex sector.