Barriers in Healthcare and Ways Providers Can Help Survivors

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87% of trafficking victims interact with medical professionals while they are being trafficked. They may be doctors, nurses, EMTs, physical therapists, counselors, etc., but these medical professionals are first responders to the crime of sex trafficking — and often the only responders a victim will ever interact with.
80% of those individuals that seek medical attention go to an emergency room. Medical personnel in emergency rooms are particularly equipped to identify, report, and even prevent sex trafficking simply due to the likelihood of encountering victims and survivors. In particular, forensic nurses who handle sexual assault and abuse cases are key players in the fight to identify victims.
Only 1% of these trafficked individuals will ever be identified. In most cities, identification is less than one percent. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of people trafficked in every town across the United States every day. Very few of them will be identified as victims of trafficking, and even fewer will have access to the resources they need to begin recovering.

Let's make sure they are seen in the healthcare system.