Human trafficking and health: A survey of male and female survivors in England

S. Oram, M. Abas, D. Bick, A. Boyle, R. French, S. Jakobowitz, M. Khondoker, N. Stanley, K. Trevillion, L. Howard and C. Zimmerman

American Journal of Public Health, 2016, vol. 106, issue 6, 1073-1078

Abstract: 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 menand24% 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.

Keywords: adult; England; female; health status; human; human trafficking; male; Mental Disorders; prostitution; psychology; questionnaire; statistics and numerical data; survivor; violence, Adult; England; Female; Health Status; Human Trafficking; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Sex Work; Surveys and Questionnaires; Survivors; Violence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2016.303095_7

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303095

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