Characteristics of Suspected Sex Trafficking-Related Emergency Department Visits, January 1, 2019–December 31, 2023

Author: White, C. Nicole; Chen, Yushiuan; Leemis, Ruth & Stein, Zachary

Abstract: This study addresses the critical need for improved identification of suspected sex trafficking (SST) victims in emergency departments (ED). An analysis of data from the National Syndromic Surveillance Program identified 1,427 SST-related ED visits from January 2019 to December 2023: 1,267 females and 156 males. The highest rates of SST visits were observed in females aged 12–17 (0.37 per 10,000 visits). Rates varied by ethnicity, with American Indian or Alaska Native females at 0.18 per 10,000 visits. Results underscore the importance of diagnosis codes and chief complaint text in identifying SST cases.

Keywords: emergency department (ED), human trafficking, National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP), sex trafficking, syndromic surveillance