411 on Sex Trafficking

Sex trafficking and forced prostitution have been gaining more and more attention over the past few years. Literally millions of people, mostly women and children, are coerced and forced into providing sex to paying customers to make a profit for others. This type of abuse can be particularly brutal, as would be imagined. Women and children who are forced into prostitution are often physically and sexually assaulted, as well as emotionally abused. They face a variety of health concerns as a result of the abuse they suffer, such as increased likelihood of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancies, unsafe and sometimes forced abortions, and increased likelihood of other infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. Survivors are also more likely to experience mental health concerns such as post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide, and drug addiction, among others. Finally, if victims are able to get out of the abuse, they can face significant social difficulties, as they face stigma if they return home, and try to live independently and earn a living without education and/or job skills.

This type of abuse happens all over the world, including the United States. There are many great resources online to learn more about sex trafficking. A good place to start is with the U.S. Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which you can access here: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2010/. This resource ranks and provides information on trafficking for every country in the world.

While learning about trafficking can be very disheartening, there are many organizations, including IJM, who are working to rescue people who have been trafficked and forced into prostitution, as well as providing services to help survivors recover and reintegrate back into society. These organizations are developing programs to provide for the many comprehensive needs of survivors, and are a great source of hope and restoration for survivors, and for myself. This is another great resource from IJM with information about trafficking and what they are doing to confront it: http://www.ijm.org/downloaddocument?gid=1