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Abstract
[Poumerol]'s call for decriminalisation came after the presentation of a draft WHO report, Sex Work in Asia, at a conference on condom promotion in high-risk situations in Asia (Hanoi, Vietnam; Aug 13-17). According to the report, prostitution in Asia is often clandestine because it is "illegal in virtually all of the region, making it difficult to disseminate condoms and advise about HIV/AIDS". The report added that, in most Asian countries, prostitutes continue to be imprisoned, fined, stigmatised, shamed, or economically exploited. But the report, a review of published and unpublished work and the result of "extensive field work" on the sex trade in Asia, also revealed that despite restrictive and punitive measures in place in many Asian countries, sex work is rapidly expanding in the region.