Why you? Qualitative Survey on Sexual Service Providers (SSP) in Five Provinces of Lao PDR: Bokeo, Luang Namtha, Savannakhet, Sekong, Champasak

“Why you?” “Why this job?” – these are the questions which sexual service providers (SSP) are most commonly asked by male clients; it is as though the man, after being sexually serviced, cannot quite believe that a young woman like this could be doing sex work. The questions suppose that there are other choices open to these women other than sex work, and arguably, they imply at the same time that only certain types of woman do this work as it must be degrading to do so. This study attempts to address these presumptions and allows the reader to hear as it were, the answers (for there are many) to these questions.