Human trafficking often seems like a far-off crime in a movie that couldn’t possibly be happening in our communities. However, it’s far more common in the United States than people realize. Moreover, many trafficking victims (88%) have sought health care at some point while they were being trafficked, but very few victims are recognized by health care workers. Historically, trafficking victims were misidentified as drug addicts, prostitutes, “bad kids”, homeless patients, victims of domestic violence, mentally ill, etc. and we failed to recognize the exploitation occurring to the person in our care. Rachel and Heidi will touch on what signs of human trafficking to look for in the health care setting, how to report it, and why it’s so vital for us to speak up when we see something that seems “off”.
