Health implications and identifying

Summary of two Journal Articles Summary of two Journal Articles Journal by Tiffany A. Richards The journal article by Tiffany (2014) presents the health implications for human trafficking. There is an increase in the number of cases of trafficking. However, efforts to establish the actual figure of victims of trafficking are dampened by the secretive aspect of this trade. Many of the victims of human trafficking are lured into this business for domestic slavery, forced labour and sex. In particular, the article delves into the extreme nature of human trafficking that result in mental and physical health problems to the victims. This is from instances where the victims are mistreated, such as forced to work under harsh conditions or engage in unsafe/hazardous activities.
The article stresses the role of the nurses in preventing the health impact on the vulnerable groups. Many victims of human trafficking are at risk of living with mental and physical health problems. The health problems that they experience will not stop as a result of lack of awareness of the health impact of trafficking and the sensitivity of the subject. In order to help save the victims of trafficking it is important for nurses to understand the intricacies of human trafficking and its impact on the victims. Notably, the nurse must strive to uncover hidden signs and symptoms of prospective victims of human trafficking to provide the necessary assistance. This will entail asking them the right questions that will go a long way to revealing their nature of work and further help liberate them from bondage.
Journal 2 by Dawn Eccleston
The journal by Eccleston (2013) presents a case of identifying the victims of human trafficking with an aim of establishing the health impact they face. There is a need to protect the victims of human trafficking from the evident health consequences. Health care workers, such as nurses fail to understand the signs and impact of human trafficking on the health of the victims. Besides, insufficient studies are conducted to establish the health impact of these victims of human trafficking. This is rooted in the sensitivity of the subject. Human trafficking is commonly an abusive process where the victims are forced or abducted fraudulently. The abduction is also through deception or by use of power, drugging and exploitation for numerous purposes, such as prostitution, drug peddling or enslavement/forced labour. The victims of trafficking are physically abused, placed in confinement, threatened or denied access to their travel documents. These victims may be psychologically affected as a result of the denial of basic needs, humiliation, exposure to hazardous living and working conditions, verbal abuse and threatening actions.
Health care workers, such as nurses have a duty to assess and diagnose victims of trafficking and help safeguard their health. The victims of trafficking must be identified by establishing the specific signs and symptoms. Victims may be lured to take part in trafficking for the financial benefit of their family or for fear of the worst towards their families if they fail to toil and moil under the hands of the traffickers. There may be signs of physical and psychological trauma, stigma, shame and anxiety on the victims. Also, the victims may show signs of fear of the trafficker and the police where the trafficker can threaten to expose them to the police as immigrants. The victims may also show signs of fear of magical or ritualistic consequences as assured by the traffickers. They may have sexually transmitted infections or show signs of drug and alcohol abuse. Self-harming is also evident including relationships with older men amid signs of truancy and stealing money.
References
Eccleston, D. (2013). Identifying victims of human trafficking. Community Practitioner, 86(5),
40-42.
Richards, T. A. (2014). Health implications of human trafficking. Nursing for Women’s Health,
18(2), 155-161.