Vol 23, 2014 Annals of Health Law 80
HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF SEX TRAFFICKING
Survivors also interacted with medical professionals for purposes of
obtaining birth control. A large majority (80.9%) of those who answered
the question (N= 73) indicated that they had used some form of birth control
for some portion of their time being trafficked. Of those who specified
where they obtained the birth control (N= 59), approximately half ( 51.7%)
said they had obtained it from a doctor or clinic. More than half ( 65.2%) of
respondents said that they went alone to the doctor or other source where
they obtained birth control. Together, these responses indicate that a
significant number of trafficking victims see healthcare providers
(especially clinics and doctors) to obtain birth control without trafficker
supervision, suggesting that medical staff have a rare opportunity to
communicate one-on-one with victims. 50
Table 8. Type of Birth Control Utilized During Sex Trafficking
Birth Control Type51 Reporting Usage (N= 59)
Condoms 52.5%
Multiple Types 22.0%
Depo-Provera 11.9%
Birth Control Pill 10.2%
IUD 3.4%
VI. RECOMMENDATIONS
A. General Awareness: Common Symptoms and Warning Signs
Medical professionals must be made aware of critical signals for
identifying trafficking victims. An important part of this training should be
to help the health care professional understand the coercive dynamic of
trafficking, especially the extreme degree of control exercised by
traffickers, and the prevalence of this criminal exploitation of women and
girls. Setting up internal protocols, procedures and regulations can further
50. While condoms (readily available in non-medical settings) were the most common
form of birth control, nearly half of survivors ( 47.5%) used another type of birth control
instead of or in addition to condoms. Thus, requests for birth control by noticeably young
girls who also show signs of injury or abuse could be viable warning signals of a possible
trafficking situation for medical professionals.
51. In addition to the contraceptive forms of birth control listed here, 25% of survivors
who answered (N= 60) reported use of the “morning-after pill.”
