Human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation: Current state

Human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation are global problems that currently affect more than 40 million people. While human trafficking can be divided into labor trafficking and sex trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation is a broader term that encompasses a range of crimes, including sex trafficking, prostitution, sex tourism, pornography, forced marriage, and performance in sexual venues.

Contrary to what some may believe, these human rights violations are just as prevalent in the United States as they are in other parts of the world. With hundreds of thousands of victims in the United States alone, it is important for dermatologists to recognize that these crimes are actively playing out in our own communities, and that victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation are presenting to our clinics.