1. By: Nancy Tran Period 4

2. Human trafficking is the illegal trade of humans that has occurred for many decades and is still continuing in the modern day. Victims of human trafficking, starting at the young age of nine, are uplifted from their families and homes against their wills and taken to a new environment where they are forced to pledge their allegiance to their new owner (pimp). Human trafficking must be stopped, because victims are forced to preform health-damaging jobs (ex: prostitution). We the people must come forth to stop this heinous crime so that the victims who have lost their control over their lives may take hold of the future that they have remaining. Also in doing so we may put a stop to any further spread of STD’s brought upon by sexual exploitation.

3. Due to the lucrative business of human trafficking the industry makes an estimated $44.3 billion profit each year. The profit margins can be broken into two parts of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Sexual exploitation makes up the major portion of profit with $33.9 billion. Owners force the enslaved victims to become prostitutes, strippers, pornography subjects, and a few are murdered to have their organs harvested. These jobs often provide many health issues especially with STD’s. Forced labor makes up the remaining portion of profit with $10.4 billion. Victims of forced labor work primarily in agricultural settings where they are fed little, overworked, and are not paid a dime. The working conditions of forced labor often provide malnourishment causing the victim to become more prone to infections and diseases.

4. Human trafficking causes children to leave their family at an early age. Consequently for the act of taking a young child away from its family the child will grow up with psychological issues facing sexual and physical abuse. Without having parental guidance the child will develop emotional conflicts that will take years to erase. As the child ages into an adult there is a large chance that the child has HIV or AIDS. After contracting an STD the adult is denied of health care and is isolated until death. In short terms traffickers only care to make money and will instantly replace the old victim with another once death is upon the old victim.

5. As a result of the profound jobs offered by the victims, sexually transmitted diseases have been elevated by 2.29% each year just from reported cases of human trafficking. Each year somewhere between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. for the sex trade. As more people are trafficked for the sex trade the number of new HIV/AIDS cases increase. Therefore if human trafficking discontinues the number of new HIV/AIDS cases will decline.

6. Regarding to those in charge of trafficking, their prosecution of human trafficking was dealt with less time in prison compared to those who trafficked illegal drugs. It disgusts me to see that the possession of a chemical substance was more severely punished than the malign treatment of people. Human trafficking has been undergoing for years and yet the Federal government has little success in the capture of traffickers, this tells us that we need to help to the best extent that we can. Putting a stop to human trafficking is important, because restoring human rights to those who have been been discouraged of using them is morally fulfilling.