How to respond sensitively to women who sell or exchange sex who are navigating decisions and issues around motherhood and having children:
- Foster open conversations with women about family planning and having children. Don’t judge a woman’s desire or decision to have children. Instead provide information about support and options available so she can make an informed decision and access support before and after becoming pregnant.
- Don’t assume how a woman should feel about her pregnancy. For some women there can be mixed feelings, for example if the pregnancy is unwanted or the result of sexual violence. Every woman is different and you should let her lead the way as to how best to address her experience.
- Support women to access maternal services. Many women involved in the ‘sex industry’ do not access any motherhood-related support. This can be because they are not aware supports exist or because they fear being judged by staff and others attending. Make sure you give women information of the supports they are entitled to or available to them. Check with women whether they would like to be supported to access these services, for example, by attending appointments with the woman or communicating with the service in advance.
- Give women opportunities to disclose their involvement. Domestic abuse, lack of financial means to support her children and other pressures can be reasons why women start to sell or exchange sex. You should ask about women’s involvement as a matter of routine. This way you can better understand the context around her involvement and provide support and alternatives if she wishes to reduce or stop selling sex.
- Have better awareness of women’s realities so you can provide the best support. Be informed of the various issues affecting a woman’s life, including involvement in selling or exchanging sex. This way, you can be prepared when a disclosure of selling or exchanging sex happens.
- Understand that a woman’s children are not at risk simply because she is involved in selling or exchanging sex. Women often have their own strategies to keep their involvement in selling sex separate from their family life, and they will do their best to protect their children. Instead check whether there are risks that need to be mitigated, such as the presence of an abuser (partner, client or pimp) or potential homelessness, among others.
- Understand that the fear of losing children can be a major barrier to disclosing. Be mindful that women might not opening up about their involvement because of fear of having their children taken into the care system. Reassure women that selling or exchanging sex is not a reason in itself to have their children removed.
- Poverty and lack of money to provide for a child can be push factors into selling sex. Explore with a woman any financial benefits and other practical support that she is entitled to in order to alleviate some of the pressure of supporting a child, particularly if she is a single mother.
- Establish good communication and referral pathways with other services. When relevant to the support a woman needs, and with the woman’s consent, communicate women’s involvement as part of the referral. Ensure that the woman is well aware of the benefit of sharing this information with another service and has agreed to it.
- If a woman has lost a child to the care system, make sure she is receiving emotional and practical support around this. She might need to process the emotions of losing a child as well as advocacy to navigate child contact and to recover the child.