ABSTRACT
Landlocked between Russia and China and comprised of over one-and-a-half million square kilometres, yet with a population of just under three million, Mongolia has the lowest population density of any country in the world. An estimated 4,000 persons, primarily women, engage in sex work in the capital city of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar. Social stigma often becomes internalised, with women reporting feeling shame and self-loathing. Stigma against women who exchange sex further complicates their ability to manage a hierarchy of risks typical in the lives of sex workers in Asia: poverty, violence, addiction, childhood abuse, and severe physical and emotional health-related problems. There are many challenges related to the implementation of interventions seeking to create alternative income sources for women engaged in sex work and reduce health risks. Women who exchange sex in Mongolia function in an economic, social and political environment in rapid transition. Many questions remain about the future lives of women who exchange sex.
