Sex Trafficking and Abortion

Human trafficking is a $150 billion industry worldwide.

Human trafficking as defined by U.S. law is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts or labor or services against his or her will. Common forms of sex trafficking include pornography, escort services, illicit massage, brothels, and prostitution. Sex trafficking can affect people of any age, socio-economic status, race, nationality and gender.

As you can imagine, unplanned pregnancies are common among sex trafficking victims. In a survey of 66 women who survived sex trafficking, about 71 percent reported that they became pregnant at least once while being trafficked, and about 21 percent said they had five or more pregnancies while being trafficked. The survey found that these 66 women had a total of 114 abortions among them while being trafficked. 

It is nearly impossible for a woman to have any means of advocacy when she is being trafficked, so it’s virtually impossible for her to protect both herself and her unborn child. One sex trafficking victim noted that in her six abortions, “I was under serious pressure from my pimps to abort the babies.” Women and girls who were forced to have an abortion were often made to return to prostitution work the day after the procedure. Pimps and sex traffickers stand to gain more profit from exploiting women by forcing them right back on the streets.

Since 1973, over 83,000,000 babies have been aborted in the US alone. Within the sex trafficking industry, over 55% of the abortions administered to pregnant women are forced abortions. When a trafficked woman is forced or coerced into an abortion, she becomes a victim twice-over. 

*Sources cited: 

The Link Between Pornography, Sex Trafficking, and Abortion

Health Consequences of Sex Trafficking