ArticleFrontiers in psychiatry2023
The relationship between underage initiation of selling sex and depression among female sex workers in Eswatini.
Article in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Patterns and Predictors of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Continuity Among Young Women Who Sell Sex in Uganda: A Group-Based Trajectory Modeling Approach.AIDS and behavior · 2026Article
- Factors influencing to early initiation of sex work among female street sex workers in Jimma and Agaro Towns, Southwest Ethiopia.Scientific reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Minors who sell sex are likely to have complex mental health needs that may persist into adulthood. This topic is understudied in sub-Saharan Africa. This study hypothesized that adult female sex workers in Eswatini who started selling sex as minors have a higher prevalence of depression than those who started as adults. We also examined correlates of depression and underage initiation of selling sex, including stigma and condom-related behaviors. Methods: From October-December 2014, women aged 18 or older who sold sex in the past 12 months in Eswatini were recruited through venue-based sampling. Participants completed a survey including the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and a question about the age at which they first sold sex for money. Results: Overall, 43.1% of participants (332/770) had probable depression, and 16.6% (128/770) started selling sex as minors under the age of 18. Over half (55.5%, 71/128) of those who started selling sex as minors had depression. This was significantly higher than the 40.7% (261/642) prevalence of depression among participants who started selling sex as adults ( Conclusion: Results highlight the need for trauma-informed and adolescent-friendly mental health services in settings free of stigma toward female sex workers in Eswatini.
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