Chapter 1: Human Trafficking: Overview for Texas Healthcare Professionals (Mandatory) 1 CCU
By: Hanni Stoklosa, MD, MPH Learning objectives After completing this course, the learner will be able to: Describe human trafficking, including the types of trafficking and those populations most vulnerable to trafficking. Identify potential trafficked persons using clinical signs and screening tools. Course overview Human trafficking is a global public health and human rights issue (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [UNODC], 2018) involving the exploitation of 18.7 million people and yielding profits of $150 billion (USD) per year worldwide (International Labour Office [ILO], 2014). Although organizations from all sectors have emerged to fight against and prevent human trafficking, healthcare professionals are in a unique position to identify and care for trafficked persons. One study reported that 88% of trafficked persons interacted with a healthcare professional during their time being trafficked (Lederer & Wetzel, 2014). Despite a high frequency of contact with trafficked individuals, there is a documented lack of both education available to healthcare providers on the signs of human trafficking and protocols on caring for trafficked individuals (Ahn et al., 2013). Healthcare providers are on the front lines of recognizing signs of trafficking and advocating for their patients. However, when the healthcare provider does not have accurate knowledge of Implicit bias in healthcare Implicit bias significantly affects how healthcare professionals perceive and make treatment decisions, ultimately resulting in disparities in health outcomes. These biases, often unconscious and unintentional, can shape behavior and produce differences in medical care along various lines, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and socioeconomic status. Healthcare disparities stemming from implicit bias can manifest in several ways. For example, a healthcare provider might unconsciously give less attention to a patient or make assumptions about their medical needs based on race, gender, or age. The unconscious assumptions can lead to delayed or inadequate care, misdiagnoses, or inappropriate treatments, all of which can adversely impact health outcomes. Addressing
Describe components and implementation of trauma- informed care. Review appropriate national organizations and local resources when intervening in human trafficking cases.
how to recognize and care for patients who are being trafficked, those trafficked persons will return from medical encounters to their lives of coercion and manipulation. Intervening and advocating for trafficked persons become difficult when healthcare providers do not know the signs of trafficking, what steps to take in providing aid, and how to empower patients to leave their current abusive situation. This course for healthcare professionals is an introduction into the complex crime of human trafficking, with a focus on sex and labor trafficking and the common symptoms and conditions that occur in trafficked persons. Healthcare professionals who complete this course will be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of trafficked persons and identify the interventions needed to care for these individuals. Additionally, this course lists national resources that provide vital services to trafficked persons and makes recommendations for patient and staff safety when addressing these potentially volatile scenarios. implicit bias in healthcare is crucial for achieving equity in medical treatment. Strategies to combat these biases involve education and awareness programs for healthcare professionals. These programs help individuals recognize and acknowledge their biases, fostering a more empathetic and unbiased approach to patient care. Additionally, implementing policies and procedures prioritizing equitable treatment for all patients can play a pivotal role in reducing healthcare disparities. Ultimately, confronting implicit bias in healthcare is essential to creating a more just and equitable healthcare system where everyone receives fair and equal treatment regardless of their background or characteristics.
DEFINING HUMAN TRAFFICKING
What Is human trafficking? Human trafficking happens globally and occurs when an individual is recruited, transported, transferred, harbored, and/ or received by force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation by a trafficker. The exploitation may take various forms, such as sex trafficking or labor trafficking. Human trafficking is often confused with smuggling. While trafficking What are the types of trafficking? Providing effective aid to trafficked individuals requires that healthcare providers recognize and understand the many types of trafficking that occur, including sex trafficking, labor trafficking, debt bondage, organ and egg trafficking, child soldiers (youth forced to serve in armed conflict), and trafficking for forced criminal activities (Interpol, n.d.).
involves exploitation for forced labor or sexual exploitation, smuggling is providing a service such as transportation or fraudulent documents, often to illegally gain entry to a foreign country (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2017). Ultimately, three distinct elements validate a case of trafficking: the act, the means, and the purpose (UNODC, 2014). In the United States, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) dichotomizes trafficking into sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Organ trafficking is less prevalent, referring to the illegal sale or exchange of a person’s organs. According to the TVPA, any commercial sex act is considered sex trafficking in those individuals younger than 18
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