Human trafficking victims: In a neighborhood near you?

Human trafficking is a modern day form of slavery. The U.S. government estimates that 18,000 people are trafficked into this country each year from many nations around the globe. U.S. victims are typically absorbed into underground sectors of the economy, where violations of wage, health, and safety laws routinely occur. Some trafficking victims are coerced into prostitution, pornography, and other aspects of the commercial sex industry, while others work as enslaved domestic servants or as forced laborers. Trafficking victims endure horrendous living and working conditions and experience myriad threats to their physical and mental health. While little is known about the population of trafficking victims in the U.S., the Department of Health and Human Services has implemented a campaign to increase awareness of the trafficking problem among professionals who may unwittingly interact with victims in the context of their daily work. The groups targeted by this “Rescue and Restore” campaign include medical and public health workers, but data remain scarce regarding how, where, when, or why trafficking victims seek health services. This presentation will provide an overview of the human trafficking problem in the U.S. and national and state policies that address human trafficking. It will describe the health problems observed in a population of trafficking survivors in Los Angeles, from the perspective of a public health physician who works closely with these patients. The presentation will also summarize the results of a qualitative study examining how public health and medical personnel can learn to identify trafficking victims.