Harms of social regulation on the development of maternal identity among sex workers

Introduction The maternal identity development, known as matrescence, of people engaged in sex work has been largely overlooked. Legal system involvement and social discrimination may have disruptive impacts on their developmental experience of becoming a mother. The EMERGE Study (Exploring Maternal Experiences and Reproductive Identities in the Sexual Gig Economy) explored factors such as maternal identity and maternal mental health needs among sex-working moms across the US. Methods Six former and current sex workers and victims of commercial sexual exploitation who identified as mothers or maternal figures (hereafter referred to as sex-working moms, MSW) participated in semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews. Result These MSW detailed their experiences with motherhood and how stigma, discrimination, family policing, incarceration, and surveillance negatively impacted their mental health, maternal identity, and sense of self as a mother. The results demonstrate the harms that the legal system has on sex workers’ maternal psychological wellbeing as well as their identity as mothers. Discussion Recommendations include amplifying positive formations of maternal identity which may improve maternal mental health outcomes among sex-working moms.