{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T11:37:28Z","timestamp":1773920248238,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773878400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Result<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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\u2019 maternal psychological wellbeing as well as their identity as mothers.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Recommendations include amplifying positive formations of maternal identity which may improve maternal mental health outcomes among sex-working moms.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1771867","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T06:50:00Z","timestamp":1773903000000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Harms of social regulation on the development of maternal identity among sex workers"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Regan A.","family":"Moss","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Social, Behavioral, Population Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine","place":["New Orleans, LA, United States"]},{"name":"Department of Counseling & Clinical Psychology, Columbia University","place":["New York, NY, United States"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Aurelie","family":"Athan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Counseling & Clinical Psychology, Columbia University","place":["New York, NY, United States"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rebecca L.","family":"Fix","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University","place":["Baltimore, MD, United States"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lisa","family":"Sholomon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Counseling & Clinical Psychology, Columbia University","place":["New York, NY, United States"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Silvia","family":"Vilches","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Human Development and Family Sciences, Auburn University","place":["Auburn, AL, United States"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kelli S.","family":"Hall","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Social, Behavioral, Population Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine","place":["New Orleans, LA, United States"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1023\/B:ASEB.0000028886.95568.2b","article-title":"Street sex work and mothering","volume":"33","author":"Sloss","year":"2004","journal-title":"J Motherhood Initiative Res Community Involvement"},{"key":"B2","volume-title":"Neon wasteland: On love, motherhood, and sex work in a rust belt town","author":"Dewey","year":"2011"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.1186\/s12905-020-01137-9","article-title":"I did not plan to have a baby. This is the outcome of our work\u201d: a qualitative study exploring unintended pregnancy among female sex workers","volume":"20","author":"Faini","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Women\u2019s Health"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(16)30071-7","article-title":"Health of female sex workers and their children: A call for action","volume":"4","author":"Willis","year":"2016","journal-title":"Lancet Global Health"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1515\/9783110813128.65","article-title":"Matrescence, Becoming a Mother, a \u201cNew\/Old\u201d Rite de Passage","volume-title":"Being Female: Reproduction, Power and Change","author":"Raphael","year":"1975"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1111\/etho.12196","article-title":"Shared precarities and maternal subjectivities: Navigating motherhood and child custody loss among North American women in street-based sex work","volume":"46","author":"Dewey","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ethos"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1353\/wsq.2025.a972626","article-title":"Criminalizing sex work, criminalizing mothers: unpacking the legal frameworks impacting sex-working parents","volume":"53","author":"Moss","year":"2025","journal-title":"WSQ: Women\u2019s Stud Q"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.21203\/rs.2.12740\/v1","article-title":"Factors associated with utilization of maternal health services by female sex workers in Uganda: A health facility-based survey","author":"BuKenya","year":"2019"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"17455057231206303","DOI":"10.1177\/17455057231206303","article-title":"Maternal health and maternal health service utilization among female sex workers: a scoping review","volume":"19","author":"Moore","year":"2023","journal-title":"Women\u2019s Health"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1080\/09687637.2021.1872496","article-title":"\"I was already in the system from the start\": how substance-using women in the street sex trade make decisions about pregnancy","volume":"29","author":"Dewey","year":"2022","journal-title":"Drugs Educ Prev Policy"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1728-4465.2015.00015.x","article-title":"Female sex workers\u2019 experiences with intended pregnancy and antenatal care services in southern Tanzania","volume":"46","author":"Beckham","year":"2015","journal-title":"Stud Family Plann"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amepre.2024.11.017","article-title":"Racialized police use of force and maternal health","volume":"68","author":"Muchomba","year":"2025","journal-title":"Am J Prev Med"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s13178-014-0163-8","article-title":"It depends on the cop:\u201d Street-based sex workers\u2019 Perspectives on police patrol officers","volume":"11","author":"Dewey","year":"2014","journal-title":"Sex Res Soc Policy"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2014.301909","article-title":"A systematic review of the correlates of violence against sex workers","volume":"104","author":"Deering","year":"2014","journal-title":"Am J Public Health"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1002680","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1002680","article-title":"Associations between sex work laws and sex workers\u2019 health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative and qualitative studies","volume":"15","author":"Platt","year":"2018","journal-title":"PloS Med"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1455999","article-title":"Prevalence, risk and resilience factors of mental health conditions among female sex workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"12","author":"Kalinowski","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/07399332.2014.989437","article-title":"Sex work and motherhood: Social and structural barriers to health and social services for pregnant and parenting street and off-street sex workers","volume":"36","author":"Duff","year":"2015","journal-title":"Health Care Women Int"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s40609-021-00213-8","article-title":"Sex workers as mothers: Correlates of engagement in sex work to support children","volume":"8","author":"Nestadt","year":"2021","journal-title":"Global Soc Welfare"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.ps.201800277","article-title":"Child protective service disparities and serious mental illnesses: Results from a national survey","volume":"70","author":"Kaplan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Psychiatr Serv"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1077559517751671","article-title":"A randomized trial of home visitation for CPS-involved families: the moderating impact of maternal depression and CPS history","volume":"23","author":"Jonson-Reid","year":"2018","journal-title":"Child Maltreat"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/1551806X.2024.2377931","article-title":"Matrescence as a theoretical space for renewal: discussion of the special issue on maternal subjectivity","volume":"21","author":"Athan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psychoanalytic Perspect"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"493","DOI":"10.2307\/j.ctv1s2t0hn.34","article-title":"Normative motherhood","volume-title":"Maternal theory: Essential readings","author":"O'Reilly","year":"2021"},{"key":"B23","first-page":"27","article-title":"Managing motherhood: How incarcerated mothers negotiate maternal role-identities with their children\u2019s caregivers","volume-title":"Criminalizing motherhood and reproduction","author":"Stringer","year":"2024"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"92","DOI":"10.1007\/s10591-018-9473-y","article-title":"Mothers talk back: Exploring the experiences of formerly incarcerated mothers","volume":"41","author":"Cooper-Sadlo","year":"2019","journal-title":"Contemp Family Ther"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1037\/amp0000623","article-title":"Reproductive identity: An emerging concept","volume":"75","author":"Athan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am Psychol"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"292","DOI":"10.1177\/0022042616649003","article-title":"The \u201cdeviant good mother\u201d motherhood experiences of substance-using and lawbreaking women","volume":"46","author":"Couvrette","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Drug Issues"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1186\/s12939-015-0206-7","article-title":"Complicating the dominant morality discourse: mothers and fathers\u2019 constructions of substance use during pregnancy and early parenthood","volume":"14","author":"Benoit","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int J Equity Health"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11199-022-01345-7","article-title":"Mothering ideology: A qualitative exploration of mothers\u2019 perceptions of navigating motherhood pressures and partner relationships","volume":"88","author":"Williamson","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sex Roles"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/07399332.2021.1949598","article-title":"Becoming a mother in the context of sex work: Women\u2019s experiences of bonding with their children","volume":"43","author":"Elsdon","year":"2022","journal-title":"Health Care Women Int"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2206.2012.00889.x","article-title":"Sex worker and mother: Managing dual and threatened identities","volume":"19","author":"Dodsworth","year":"2014","journal-title":"Child Family Soc Work"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1111\/soc4.12337","article-title":"Understanding the lives of mothers after incarceration: Moving beyond socially constructed definitions of motherhood","volume":"10","author":"Garcia","year":"2016","journal-title":"Sociology Compass"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1646213","article-title":"CARE NOT CRIMINALIZATION opportunities to sustain matricentric models of community and person-centered care for perinatal substance use in the post dobbs deep south","volume":"16","author":"Moss","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front Psychiatry"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapsychiatry.2023.5648","article-title":"Prioritizing maternal mental health in addressing morbidity and mortality","volume":"81","author":"Wisner","year":"2024","journal-title":"JAMA Psychiatry"},{"key":"B34","first-page":"197","volume-title":"Sex work policy: participatory action research by and for sex workers and sex trafficking survivors","author":"Burns","year":"2024"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychiatry"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1771867\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T06:50:02Z","timestamp":1773903002000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1771867\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]]},"references-count":34,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1771867"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1771867","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-0640"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-0640","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]]},"article-number":"1771867"}}