Physical health symptoms reported by trafficked women receiving post-trafficking support in Moldova: prevalence, severity and associated factors

We analysed the prevalence and severity of 15 health symptoms reported by 120 trafficked women who had returned to Moldova between December 2007 and December 2008 and were registered with the International Organisation for Migration Assistance and Protection Programme. Women had returned to Moldova an average of 5.9 months prior to interview (range 2-12 months).Headaches (61.7%), stomach pain (60.9%), memory problems (44.2%), back pain (42.5%), loss of appetite (35%), and tooth pain (35%) were amongst the most commonly reported symptoms amongst both women trafficked for sexual exploitation and women trafficked for labour exploitation. The prevalence of headache and memory problems was strongly associated with duration of exploitation.Trafficked women who register for post-trafficking support services after returning to their country of origin are likely to have long-term physical and dental health needs and should be provided with access to comprehensive medical services. Health problems among women who register for post-trafficking support services after returning to their country of origin are not limited to women trafficked for sexual exploitation but are also experienced by victims of labour exploitation.Human trafficking is a human rights violation and a serious form of crime which involves the recruitment and movement of individuals – most often by force, coercion or deception – for the purpose of exploitation [1-3]. Trafficking for sexual exploitation is the most commonly recognized form of this crime, but men, women and children are also trafficked for exploitation in a range of labour settings, including agriculture, factory work and domestic servitude, as well as for begging and for forced marriage [4]. Between 2000 and 2010, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) provided assistance to trafficked persons on 46,554 occasions, including 5,911 instances of assistance in 2010. 43% of people assisted by IOM had been trafficked for sexual exploitati