Nearly 60 Percent Of Women Trafficked And Sexually Exploited Suffered From Posttraumatic Stress

Study is first to quantitatively document the health symptoms of trafficked women and adolescent girls in Europe.


Researchers interviewed 192 women and adolescent girls within 14 days of accessing post-trafficking services to investigate the health of women trafficked for sexual exploitation in Europe. Almost 60 percent of participants reported experiences of sexual or physical violence before being trafficked, and 12 percent had a forced or coerced sexual experience before the age of 15. Ninety-five percent of participants reported physical or sexual violence while in the trafficking situation. Symptoms associated with depression were most often reported, with 39 percent of participants acknowledging having suicidal thoughts within the past seven days.


"The severe symptom patterns identified suggest that diagnostic and treatment services should be made immediately available to survivors of trafficking," said the study's authors. "However, dissecting the constellation of women's symptoms and formulating treatment plans are not likely to be easy or short-term tasks." [From: "The Health of Trafficked Women: A Survey of Women Entering Post-trafficking Services in Europe." Contact: Cathy Zimmerman, PhD, Gender Violence and Health Centre, LondonSchool of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, England, cathy.zimmermanlshtm.ac .]


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American Journal of Public Health