ArticleFrontiers in public health2025
The impact of self-stigmatization on the mental health of female sex workers (FSWs).
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Adverse childhood experiences and mental health outcomes among women in sex work and social care: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- 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
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Sex workers are exposed to high levels of mental health risk. Yet, the psychological effects of self-stigmatization in legalized sex work contexts remain underexplored. This study examines how different dimensions of self-stigma influence mental health outcomes among female sex workers (FSWs) in Germany, where sex work is legalized and regulated. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 397 FSWs recruited across diverse work settings in Germany between August 2022 and October 2024. Mental health conditions were assessed using the Mini-DIPS Open Access structured interview. Self-stigmatization was measured via the Paradox of Self-Stigmatization Scale (PaSS-24), which captures three dimensions: Results: A high prevalence of mental health disorders was observed among participants, reflecting the categories assessed in this study (affective, anxiety, trauma-related, and substance use disorders). Emotional and behavioral dimensions of self-stigmatization, particularly concealment and emotional reactivity, showed associations with certain psychiatric outcomes. In contrast, cognitive endorsement of stereotypes showed no consistent links to mental health status in this sample. Discussion: Findings support the "Paradox of Self-Stigma" model: FSWs cognitively reject negative stereotypes yet exhibit strong emotional and behavioral responses that heighten psychological distress.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.