ArticleBMC psychiatry2021
Prevalence and correlates of common mental health problems and recent suicidal thoughts and behaviours among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya.
Article in BMC psychiatry, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 33 citations in OpenAlex.
- Gender differences in the prevalence of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder and associated factors among adults in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence of genital and anorectal chlamydia trachomatis in Kenya by risk groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Pooled it
- The association between sexual violence and mental disorders among women victim-survivors in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ global health · 2025Pooled it
- Prevalence, risk and resilience factors of mental health conditions among female sex workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2024Pooled it
- Genital Immune Correlates of Seroprevalent and Seroincident Herpes Simplex Type 2 Infection Among Women Who Sell Sex in Nairobi, Kenya.American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2026Article
- Depression and quality of life among Thai and migrant sex workers in Thailand: a cross-sectional study.Journal of affective disorders · 2026Article
- Longitudinal assessment of changes in hair cortisol levels and associations with violence, poor mental health and harmful substance use among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Maternal Health of Female Sex Workers in Six Low- and Middle-Income Countries.International journal of women's health · 2026Article
- The prevalence and factors associated with common mental health conditions among female sex workers in Dar es salaam, Tanzania.PLOS mental health · 2026Article
- Quantifying intersectional stigma in HIV prevention contexts: adaptation and validation of a scale among female sex workers in Namibia.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Forced vaginal sex and genital immune correlates of HIV risk: a prospective study of female sex workers in Kenya.BMJ global health · 2025Article
- Extreme Weather Events and Linkages with HIV Vulnerabilities Among Young Sex Workers and Sexually Diverse Men in Nairobi, Kenya: Qualitative Multi-method Insights.AIDS and behavior · 2025Article
- Quantitative profiling of the vaginal microbiota improves resolution of the microbiota-immune axis.Microbiome · 2025Article
- The impact of self-stigmatization on the mental health of female sex workers (FSWs).Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Quality of life, mental health, and socio-demographic differences across sex work settings: implications for specialized healthcare and support services.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Factors Associated with Usage of Oral-PrEP among Female Sex Workers in Nairobi, Kenya, Assessed by Self-Report and a Point-of-Care Urine Tenofovir Immunoassay.AIDS and behavior · 2024Article
- Associations of hair cortisol levels with violence, poor mental health, and harmful alcohol and other substance use among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya.Discover mental health · 2024Article
- Determinants of depressive and alcohol use disorders among female sex workers in Ethiopia: evidence from a national bio-behavioral survey, 2020.BMC psychiatry · 2024Article
- The epidemiology of HIV infection among female sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya: A structural determinants and life-course perspective.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Suicide during pregnancy as a major contributor to maternal suicide among female sex workers in eight low- and middle-income countries: A community knowledge approach investigation.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
20 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs), poverty, violence and harmful alcohol/substance use are associated with poor mental health outcomes, but few studies have examined these risks among Female Sex Workers (FSWs). We examine the prevalence and correlates of common mental health problems including suicidal thoughts and behaviours among FSWs in Kenya.
methodsMaisha Fiti is a longitudinal study among FSWs randomly selected from Sex Worker Outreach Programme (SWOP) clinics across Nairobi. Baseline behavioural-biological survey (n = 1003) data were collected June-December 2019. Mental health problems were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression, the Generalised Anxiety Disorder tool (GAD-7) for anxiety, the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ-17) for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a two-item tool to measure recent suicidal thoughts/behaviours. Other measurement tools included the WHO Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) score, WHO Violence Against Women questionnaire, and the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were conducted using a hierarchical modelling approach.
resultsOf 1039 eligible FSWs, 1003 FSWs participated in the study (response rate: 96%) with mean age 33.7 years. The prevalence of moderate/severe depression was 23.2%, moderate/severe anxiety 11.0%, PTSD 14.0% and recent suicidal thoughts/behaviours 10.2% (2.6% suicide attempt, 10.0% suicidal thoughts). Depression, anxiety, PTSD and recent suicidal thoughts/behaviours were all independently associated with higher ACE scores, recent hunger (missed a meal in last week due to financial difficulties), recent sexual/physical violence and increased harmful alcohol/substance. PTSD was additionally associated with increased chlamydia prevalence and recent suicidal thoughts/behaviours with low education and low socio-economic status. Mental health problems were less prevalent among women reporting social support.
conclusionsThe high burden of mental health problems indicates a need for accessible services tailored for FSWs alongside structural interventions addressing poverty, harmful alcohol/substance use and violence. Given the high rates of ACEs, early childhood and family interventions should be considered to prevent poor mental health outcomes.
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