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

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Anxiety / Stress;  Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 29 Nov 2007 - 16:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

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.zimmerman@lshtm.ac.uk .]

The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly journal of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the oldest organization of public health professionals in the world. APHA is a leading publisher of books and periodicals promoting sound scientific standards, action programs and public policy to enhance health.

American Journal of Public Health

• Additional
• References
• Citations