Policy document
Human Trafficking: ACOG COMMITTEE OPINION SUMMARY, Number 787.
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Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is clinical guidance for obstetrician-gynecologists on identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking. It notes that trafficking disproportionately affects women and girls, with over 70% of cases involving them and over 90% trafficked into the sex industry. The document provides guidance on screening questions, indicators of trafficking, and reporting obligations for healthcare providers.
Key points
- More than 70% of trafficking cases involve women and girls
- More than 90% of victims trafficked into the sex industry
- One half of all female victims of sex trafficking have visited an emergency department while involved in trafficking
- Obstetrician-gynecologists are well-positioned to identify trafficking victims
- The guidance includes screening questions, indicators to identify victims, and information on reporting obligations
Limitations
This is clinical guidance for healthcare providers rather than an evaluation of an intervention's effectiveness. It does not provide evidence on outcomes of screening or assistance programs for trafficking victims.
Abstract
Human trafficking, or modern-day slavery, is a global problem with broad reach that is often underrecognized in the United States. Victims of trafficking have been found in a wide range of legal and illegal business settings, and this frequently hidden population is most often exploited in the commercial sex industry, agriculture, factories, hotels, restaurants, as domestic workers, and by marriage brokers and some adoption firms. Human trafficking disproportionately affects underserved women and children, with more than 70% of trafficking cases involving women and girls and more than 90% of victims trafficked into the sex industry. Obstetrician-gynecologists and other women's health care providers are well-situated to identify and assist victims of human trafficking. Many trafficked individuals present to outpatient obstetrics and gynecology clinics, community health centers, family planning clinics, urgent care centers, and adolescent medicine clinics, and one half of all female victims of sex trafficking have visited the emergency department while involved in sex trafficking. Obstetrician-gynecologists and other women's health care providers should be aware of human trafficking, recognize signs of human trafficking, and be prepared to assist patients who are victims or who have been victims of human trafficking. This Committee Opinion has been updated to include screening questions and indicators to identify victims of human trafficking, additional information regarding reporting obligations for suspected human trafficking, and additional resources for survivors of human trafficking.