title: Health outcomes among women trafficked for sex in the United States: a closer look.
abstract: Human trafficking is recognized as a major public health problem and a tragic transnational crime. Little is known about the health outcomes of victims of human trafficking. This study identifies the relationship of risk factors to physical, sexual, and mental health outcomes in three groups of women (N = 38) exploited for sex in the United States: international trafficking victims, domestic trafficking victims, and nontrafficked sex workers. To date this is the first study to examine the impact of risk factors on health outcomes using a sample of women trafficked for sex in the United States that includes both domestic and international victims. Overall, findings suggest that the experiences in sex work of domestic trafficking victims were dissimilar to those of international trafficking victims. Moreover, domestic trafficking victims displayed poorer health outcomes compared to international trafficking victims. In terms of risk factors, a higher percentage of women involved in street prostitution reported sexual health problems, co-occurring health issues, and addiction. Childhood physical/sexual victimization was related to poor physical health.
authors.affiliation: Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA. lmuftic@gsu.edu
authors.forename: Lisa R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Muftic
authors.forename: Mary A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Finn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D064410:Human Trafficking; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D060386:Sex Workers / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States
keywords: domestic trafficking victims; health outcomes; international trafficking victims; sex trafficking; sex work