Available online 21 October 2022

Section snippetsPosition

The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) supports ongoing culturally proficient educational training and awareness for nurses about human trafficking. Nurses should be cognizant of human trafficking, notice the signs of human trafficking, and be prepared to support victims of human trafficking.

AWHONN opposes laws and other policies that require nurses to report the results of patient screenings to law enforcement or other regulatory agencies without the consent

Background

Human trafficking is the exploitation of individuals acquired by force, fraud, coercion, or deception (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [ACOG], 2019; Byrne et al., 2019; Greenbaum, 2020) and is a global problem, including in the United States. Human trafficking is divided into several categories, including forced sexual exploitation, forced labor, and domestic servitude. Sex trafficking is a form of human trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud,

Key Elements

Trafficking of children commonly takes the form of forced child labor, child soldiers, and child sex trafficking (National Human Trafficking Resource Center, n.d.). Vulnerable populations include teenage runaways; those with disabilities; victims of childhood sexual abuse; individuals facing extreme poverty; foreign nationals; females; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and others (LGBTQ+) individuals (Byrne et al., 2019).

The National Center for Missing & Exploited

The Role of the Nurse

One of the most challenging issues associated with human trafficking is identifying and helping victims because they fear the consequences they may face if they disclose personal information about their circumstances (ACOG, 2019). To allay the victims’ fears, it is beneficial for nurses to present themselves as trusted professionals who provide strategic trauma-informed support and empathetic care. Consequently, victims are more likely to gradually trust that nurses will provide honest and

Recommendations

AWHONN supports research and policy initiatives to improve care and support for victims of human trafficking. AWHONN recommends the following:

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Adoption of a brief and validated screening tool in clinical settings to identify victims of human trafficking

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Mechanisms to support continuity of care, especially when warning signs of human trafficking are present

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Exploration of the facts about human trafficking in the community local to the nurse

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Conduct educational sessions for community organizations

AWHONN Contextual Statement

Although the words “woman,” “women,” and “mother” and related pronouns are used herein, AWHONN recognizes the existence of diverse gender identities and acknowledges that not all individuals who present for care self-identify as women or exclusively as women. When referencing the published results of previous studies, terms used by the original authors are retained for accuracy. To provide appropriate, respectful, and sensitive care, the health care provider is encouraged to always ask

Acknowledgments

AWHONN gratefully acknowledges Michele Woods, MSN, RNC-OB, NE-BC, C-EFM, C-ONQS, and Kellie Griggs, DNP, MSN-Ed, RNC-OB, who contributed to portions of this revised position statement and the 2022 AWHONN Public Policy Committee for their review and comments for this position statement.

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Human trafficking. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 787

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(2019)

AWHONN position statement: Human trafficking

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing

(2016)

M. Byrne et al.Human trafficking: Impact, identification, and intervention

Nursing Management

(2019)

(2022, February 4). Sex traffickingT. DovydaitisHuman trafficking: The role of the health care provider

Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health

(2011)

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© 2022 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc.