Ian Bennett, MD, PhD and co-authors have released the largest study ever to document deaths in pregnancy and postpartum of sex workers from suicide. Published in Global Mental Health, 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 is a first of its kind study highlighting the need for targeted interventions as social support within this vulnerable population.

Global Health Promise (GHP) is an Oregon-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting the maternal health of mothers in sex work and the health of their children. Based on research by GHP and others, many mothers impacted by sex work in low- and middle-income countries are at high risk of depression and suicide. This new multi-country study is the first to reveal the highest percentage of deaths among pregnant women ever reported, along with a grim pattern of suicide among female sex workers (FSW), primarily during the perinatal period.

In 2019, GHP recorded deaths from suicide among FSWs across eight countries: Angola, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. 1,280 FSWs participated in the study and reported 2,112 deaths of other FSWs they had known with a significant percentage due to maternal suicides, many of which occurred during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

“We know very little about this nearly invisible and highly stigmatized community,” Dr. Bennett stated. “This is the first study I am aware of that looks at suicide as a cause of mortality among these very vulnerable women. The fact that we found that these mothers are dying at such a high rate of suicide can help design interventions to reduce their risk of death from suicide in the future