2.  Aminmansour, Morteza. “Slavery of women and children in Persian Gulf countries.” Iranian.ws, 6/20/2004.

3.  Akhileshwari, R. “fly-by-Night Bridegrooms.” Deccan Herald, 6/20/2004.

4.  U.S. State Department statistics found here.

5.  This and other mention of rescued girls are from author’s interviews with girls while living with them in STOP’s Ashray Home (January 2005). Names have been changed for the girls’ protection.

6.  STOP Report 2004. “Report on the work of STOP’s Community Outreach Centre in the light of Yamuna Pushta demolitions.”

7.  “Quake Orphans Sold Into Sex Trade.” Pakistan Daily Times Monitor, 10/24/2005.

8.  Excerpt from “Me & Us” video documentary produced by Prajwala. Click here for documentary.

9.  Once girls are trafficked, they are given new names and identities to keep them hidden. Then when they are rescued, they are again given different names and identities to protect them (from being re-trafficked).

10.  Willis BM, Levy BS. “Child prostitution: global health burden, research needs, and interventions.” Lancet 2002; 359: 1417-22.

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SARAH KURESHI is a joint degree MD/MPH student at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health. She will begin a Family Practice Residency at UCSF this year. She can be reached for comment and questions at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it