In the area of prostitution, the number of Akha girls ending up in that trade is very large, and growing. The solutions are not simple and the spread of AIDS is not slowing. Road development in the area will force many Akha from one economic model rapidly into another and prostitution will be one way that far to many of them will cope with that dilema. As well, for the young men, forced to go far from home to work, there is little hope of supporting a family within the village, leaving less men available for marriage. The whole scenario is really quite horrible.
Most programs are only a drop in the bucket compared to the size of the problem.
Much to be done in this area. Unfortunately many address this as a single gender based issue or simplisticly, far removed from all the causes swirling about, mugging the facts to fit particular agendas. For example, many glibly say that girls go into prostitution because of no other choices. We find on this end however, that there are plenty who don't go into prostitution who are very poor. On the other hand not many jobs pay so well.