Red Flags: Missing the Signs of Sex Trafficking in the Clinic
Samantha Calvin & Kaitlyn-Nicolasa Félix | September 21 | 4:00-5:00 PM | Room 3010A
Although health care workers are one of the few professions to interact with girls who have experienced sex trafficking, and as many as 50% of girls seek medical attention during their time in the sex trade, health care workers are often unprepared to identify and appropriately treat them. In a recent study of emergency medicine residents, Emergency Department (ED) attending's, ED nurses, and hospital social workers, only 4.8% felt some degree of confidence in their ability to identify and 7.7% to treat a trafficked patient. Because there are several complex health issues associated with sex trafficking, healthcare professionals need to know how to identify and treat these girls. In addition, there needs to be better methods established to gather data in the clinic, hospital, urgent care, and ER settings.
Presentation Objectives:
· Present the current research literature as it applies to the intersection of health care and sex trafficking
· Describe our current research projects in this area and preliminary findings
· Provide next steps and future directions in this area