Human Trafficking and Health: A Survey of Male and Female Survivors in England.
Oram, Siân;
Abas, Melanie;
Bick, Debra;
Boyle, Adrian;
French, Rebecca;
Jakobowitz, Sharon;
Khondoker, Mizanur;
Stanley, Nicky;
Trevillion, Kylee;
Howard, Louise;
+1 more...Zimmerman, Cathy;
(2016)
Human Trafficking and Health: A Survey of Male and Female Survivors in England.
American journal of public health, 106 (6).
pp. 1073-1078.
ISSN 0090-0036
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303095
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OBJECTIVES: To investigate physical and mental health and experiences of violence among male and female trafficking survivors in a high-income country. METHODS: Our data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of 150 men and women in England who were in contact with posttrafficking support services. Interviews took place over 18 months, from June 2013 to December 2014. RESULTS: Participants had been trafficked for sexual exploitation (29%), domestic servitude (29.3%), and labor exploitation (40.4%). Sixty-six percent of women reported forced sex during trafficking, including 95% of those trafficked for sexual exploitation and 54% of those trafficked for domestic servitude. Twenty-one percent of men and 24% of women reported ongoing injuries, and 8% of men and 23% of women reported diagnosed sexually transmitted infections. Finally, 78% of women and 40% of men reported high levels of depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological interventions to support the recovery of this highly vulnerable population are urgently needed.