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Abstract

As the fastest growing crime in the world (Walker-Rodriguez, & Hill, 2011) and with sex slaves found in all 50 states (Grace et al, 2014), finding a solution to the problem of sex slavery is critical. One study showed 63.3% of sex slave survivors were treated in the emergency department while enslaved, revealing an opportunity for healthcare providers to intervene (The Emergency Nurses Association, 2015). This review of literature focused on the human trafficking subcategory of sexual exploitation (sex slaves). The purpose of this review of literature is to provide evidence based resources to better equip APN’s to identify, intervene, and refer sex slaves for successful rehabilitative services. Methods: Databases searched were CINAHL Complete and MEDLINE, from 2012 to 2017, resulting in a review of over 20 articles that discussed the identification and management of victims of sexual exploitation and the health care providers’ role with sex slaves in emergency departments. Three core concepts discovered from this review of literature were described: the identification, intervention, and referral process for sex slaves Conclusions: Overall, the database search confirmed that there is a large amount of research, however, there remains a need for evidence based tools for healthcare providers. One study resulted in an evidence based question that was effective in the identification of sex slaves: ‘Were you (or anyone you work with) ever beaten, hit, yelled at, raped, threatened or made to feel physical pain for working slowly or for trying to leave?’ (Mumma et al., 2017). Key Words: human trafficking, sex exploitation, health care, emergency departments, and sex slaves.

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