NCJ Number
218426
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 13 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2007 Pages: 486-497
Date Published
May 2007
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article presents a case study of a trafficked woman identified in the United States health system and describes the vulnerabilities to forced prostitution as a result of trafficking, and discusses the challenges in providing an effective and comprehensive response to meet safety and health care needs.
Abstract
Although not a “classic” case of sex trafficking and sexual slavery in that she was not trafficked with the sole purpose of working in the sex industry as a sex slave, the constraints associated with being trafficked and the potential for significant exploitation underscore the ways in which violence against women is intimately connected with a clustering of vulnerabilities associated with poverty, migration experience, systems of trafficking. Regardless, this is an illustrative case of trafficking from Latin America where an estimated 100,000 women are trafficked each year. This particular case raised many questions and concerns among health center staff. This story of trafficking, sex work, and the related physical and mental health consequences presented new challenges on multiple levels. Most notable was that this woman actually sought care, found a way to access health and social service resources and ultimately was able maintain the support of her extended family. Still, the staff wondered how many other women in this small community had experienced trafficking and similar health consequences. Since health care providers are in a unique position to identify and support United States sex trafficking victims, education and training for these professionals on trafficking is needed. This case study illustrates the layered complexities of interpersonal violence and trafficking and the particular heightened vulnerabilities for physical and sexual violence among new immigrant women. References