Search

Given the significant global burden of human trafficking, the ability of clinicians to identify and provide treatment for trafficked persons is critical. Particularly in conflict settings, health care facilities often serve as the first and sometimes only point of contact for trafficked persons. As such, medical practitioners have a unique opportunity and an ethical imperative to intervene, even in nonclinical roles. With proper training, medical practitioners can assist trafficked persons by documenting human trafficking cases, thereby placing pressure on key stakeholders to enforce legal protections, and by providing adequate services to those trafficked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the author's call for U.S. public health research to prioritize the issue of human trafficking prevention, and it mentions America's Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and the various investigations into suspected human trafficking that were opened by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the nation's Department of Justice in fiscal year 2015. The health consequences of human trafficking are examined, along with reproductive health and mental health.