Happiness Among Sex Workers in China and Thailand and Their Customers

Abstract.  This work explores differences in subjective well-being (SWB)among those who exchange sex for money in China and Thailand.  We also look at gender differences among those who exchange sex for money in China and how these respondents differ from the sample as a whole.  Survey data from Yunnan China was collected by Yang and Luo in 2003 and was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse  Data from Thailand was collected during January and February 2007 and only includes female sex workers.  Many of the predictors of SWB in China are comparable to those reported in other countries including marriage, education, feeling part of the community, relative income and not using drugs.  Predictors of SWB among men who exchange money for sex in China are marriage, feeling part of the community and not being diagnosed with HIV.  For women in China, only age is a significant predictor of SWB.  Younger women have higher odds of reporting SWB than others; however, in Thailand having more education and relative income are positively associated with SWB all else equal.