Journal Article

Healthcare providers’ experience of identifying and caring for women subjected to sex trafficking: a qualitative study

Andersson, Mikaela, Örmon, Karin

2024

Overview

Background Men’s violence against women, including human trafficking for sexual exploitation, is a severe threat to global health. Healthcare providers are uniquely positioned to identify and care for women subjected to human trafficking for sexual exploitation. They are among the few professionals the women interact with while being exposed to human trafficking for sexual exploitation. This study aims to describe healthcare workers’ experience of identifying and caring for women subjected to human trafficking for sexual exploitation seeking women’s healthcare. Method A qualitative design was chosen and nine qualitative interviews with healthcare providers were conducted and analyzed using the content analysis method. Results Three main categories were revealed: (1) the importance of being attentive, (2) the importance of providing safety, and (3) the importance of collaborating, followed by a number of subcategories: behavioral and physical signs, limited time to interact, security measures, value of confidence building, organizational collaboration, essential external network, and information transmission. Conclusions As the women subjected to sex trafficking have limited time in healthcare, it is important for healthcare providers to be attentive and act immediately if suspecting human trafficking for sexual exploitation. It may be the only possibility for the healthcare providers to care for these women and reach them. They must endeavor to provide the women with safety due to their vulnerable position at the hospital. However, these women may leave the healthcare setting unidentified and unaided, which highlights the importance of collaboration on multiple levels.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: adult / aggression / care behavior / clinical article / Collaboration / Content analysis / Domestic violence / drug therapy / Equal rights / Equality / Exploitation / Female / Gender-based violence / Global health / Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine / Gynecology / Gynekologi, obstetrik och reproduktionsmedicin / Health care / Health care industry / health care personnel / Health Personnel / Health problems / Health services / Healthcare providers / Help seeking behavior / human / Human rights / Human smuggling / Human Trafficking / Human Trafficking - prevention & control / Human trafficking for sexual exploitation / Humans / Information dissemination / interview / Kidnapping / Male / Maternal and Child Health / Medical personnel / Medical research / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Meetings / Men / Mental health / middle aged / Patients / Practice / Prevention / prevention and control / Professionals / Qualitative Research / Reproductive Medicine / Safety / Security / sex trafficking / Sexual Behavior / Sexual exploitation / Slavery / Statistics / Trafficking / Violence against women / Women / Women's healthcare / Womens health