Over the past year (2019), new research has documented the physical, mental, and emotional devastation caused by human trafficking.
As a result of this work we now know that this devastation is lasting – with illnesses, injuries, and impairments starting during the trafficking, and affecting victims of sex trafficking long after they are out of the trafficking situation.
In particular, new information is available about pregnancy, child-bearing and child birth, miscarriage, abortion, forced abortion, and infertility in sex trafficking.
According to one *study:
- 71% of victims got pregnant at least once while being trafficked
- 22% got pregnant five times or more
- 55% had at least one abortion
- 29.9% had multiple abortions
- 54.7% had at least one miscarriage
- 16% were infertile or unable to have children after trafficking
- 87.8% sought care from health providers while they were trapped in the trafficking situation
Of those who had abortions, over half indicated that the abortions were forced by their trafficker.
Anecdotal information from interviews with survivors shows that pregnant trafficking victims wanted to keep their babies and some show that becoming pregnant was a catalyst for victims seeking help from law enforcement, pregnancy resource centers, and other places that would assist them in getting out of the trafficking either through rescue or another kind of exit strategy.
* (Survivor Survey – “Annals of Health Law” – Dr. Laura Lederer. Global Centurion)
“…life, freedom, healing and hope for survivors of human trafficking,
inside and outside the womb…”
Life Freedom Alliance 