Physical, Mental, and Socioeconomic Health Issues of Sex and Labor Trafficking Survivors Engaged in Primary Care Services

Author: Ravi, Anita; Shuman, Saskia; Shroff, Nandini; London-Orozco, Claudia & Walcott, Keisha

Abstract: This study describes physical, mental, and socioeconomic health issues of people who have experienced human trafficking. Data was utilized from the electronic medical records of the PurpLE Clinic, which provided primary care for survivors of human trafficking from 2015 to 2019. One hundred and twenty-four patients experienced any sex trafficking (85.5% cisgender women, 13.7% transgender women) and 14 patients experienced labor trafficking only (85.7% cisgender women, 14.3% cisgender men.) Common healthcare issues addressed included blood pressure management (20.2% sex trafficking, 35.7% labor trafficking), musculoskeletal pain (32.3% sex trafficking, 42.9% labor trafficking), and unprotected intercourse (43.5% sex trafficking). Preventative health services survivors engaged in family planning, tobacco cessation, vaccinations, and chronic disease screening. A majority of survivors had moderate-to-severe depression (65.2%) and anxiety (71.2%), and screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder (93.9%). Socioeconomic issues included experiencing housing insecurity (50.0%), being undocumented (50.0%), and uninsured (39.9%). Sex and labor trafficking survivors have a range of acute and chronic health issues, including a high prevalence of PTSD, and co- existing socioeconomic vulnerabilities. These findings provide a framework for understanding post-identification care needs of human trafficking survivors in the United States, and highlight opportunities to address long-term health needs of this population.

Keywords: human trafficking, primary care, mental health, social determinants of health, sex trafficking, labor trafficking