The Chinese blogosphere was very excited last week after an alleged prostitute and HIV carrier published a blog post with the telephone numbers of 279 of her former clients, telling them "If your number is included, then congratulations, you've got AIDS". Instead of being appalled however, the Chinese blogosphere thought the whole thing rather amusing - a worrying indication of China's naive attitude towards the lethal virus. Read more...

Their message - "Ukraine is no whorehouse". Their medium - anything from throwing cakes at sexists, challenging male tourists in the street, and getting naked in order to disrupt public ceremonies. Meet Kiev's controversial anti-prostitution activists...

"For you, we'd sacrifice Al-Maliki". It's these words, recorded in a video of the Iraqi Trade Secretary's spokesperson addressing a prostitute, that are causing a racket on the Iraqi web. Not great timing either; the man in question faces corruption allegations, part of a scandal that has led to the resignation of his boss. Read more...

Grace is 27. She's a stripper in a Texas club. Two years ago, she started a blog about her day-to-day life, telling tales far from the glamorous clichés of porno-chic bars. And she discovered a talent. Her writing is polished and to the point. Sometimes sad, but not always. She tells her story to the Observers. Read more...

These desperate migrant workers from south east China, who often leave their wives behind to find work, are reduced to paying women ten cents to see their private parts. Read more...

The governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, announced yesterday that he would resign from office after the press discovered his past dealings with a prostitute. The New York Times traced the prostitute and went on to publish details from her MySpace page. A few hours later, the call girl, Ashley Alexandra Dupré, was a freshly made web icon. Read more…

Prostitution is legal in Canada, but brothels aren’t. As a result sex workers put their lives at risk to go to work. Now, Susan Davies, a prostitute for 22 years, is campaigning to open the country’s first brothel in Vancouver. Read more...

Material compiled by our regional editor for South America, Cristiano de Sa Fagundes.

Jane is a member of ‘Daspu’; a new brand making its mark in the fashion world of Rio. What distinguishes it from other designer brands? All the clothes are designed and produced by Brazilian prostitutes. The project is carried out by a local NGO, Davida ('of life') that defends the rights of sex workers in Rio de Janeiro. The name ‘Daspu’- ‘whores’ in Portuguese, was inspired by that of the department store in São Paulo: ‘Daslu’. A reference which was not to the taste of the store’s owners, who have taken the NGO to court. Read more...