“life, freedom, healing and hope for survivors of human trafficking, inside and outside the womb…”
Many survivors, of sex trafficking, said that they felt forced to choose abortion by the circumstance of being trafficked.
Of those who had abortions, over half indicated that the abortions were forced by their trafficker:
- “How can I take care of a baby when he [her pimp] forces me out on the street every night.”
- One survivor noted that“in most of [my six abortions], I was under serious pressure from my pimp to abort the babies.”
- Another survivor, who had multiple health issues from her forced abortions, including multiple miscarriages, scar tissue and fibroids requiring a hysterectomy, stated,“I have three children, they’re just in Heaven because of my three forced abortions.”
- “My trafficker took me to get an abortion. I didn’t want my baby to suffer because of what had happened to me. When I was taken to where they do abortions, I told one of the staff “that man out there is forcing me to have sex…he’s forcing me to have an abortion…I don’t want to this…” I was able to get out and ran to a Pregnancy Center next door. They helped me get to a safe place. My baby has brought much healing out of what has happened to both of us.”
- In a Survivor Survey (by Dr. Laura Lederer, Global Centurion), one survivor, of sex trafficking, stated she was“forced to have 17 abortions.”
- A Survivor Story…
“[W]hen I was by the town hall, a man saw me hanging around there and he said that he was.. but it sounded fine to stay. . . . When we got to his house he pulled out a bottle of gin and had me drink and drink. The next thing I remember is waking up drunk in his bed all wet and hurt. He took me out on the street and told me what to do…
…During that time I saw 10 to 20 men a day. I did what he said because he got violent when I sassed him. I took all kinds of drugs. Over the years I had pimps and customers who hit me, punched me, kicked me, beat me, slashed me with a razor.
I had forced unprotected sex and got pregnant three times and had two abortions at [a clinic]. Afterward, I was back out on the street again. I have so many scars all over my body and so many injuries and so many illnesses. I have hepatitis C and stomach and back pain and a lot of psychological issues. I tried to commit suicide several times.”
- Kayla, survivor1 story is typical of women and girls trafficked for commercial sex.
* President, Global Centurion; Subject Matter Expert, U.S. Department of Defense; Adjunct Professor of Law, Georgetown Law Center; Senior Advisor on Trafficking, Office of Global Affairs, US Department of State, 2002 2009.
** J.D. Candidate, University of Virginia, 2015; B.A., Grove City College, 2012.
The authors would like to acknowledge the following for their support in the course of this investigation: Abolition International; Charlotte Lozier Institute; The Giving Fund; The Greenbaum Foundation; Gulton Foundation, Inc.; Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program; and an anonymous donor.
1. All survivor names have been changed to protect their privacy.
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