Most common skin signs of human trafficking

What signs that you might encounter in a dermatology visit could indicate that a patient is a victim of human trafficking?

• Skin signs of STIs, especially if multiple or recurrent

• Trauma to vagina or rectum

• Physical trauma (bruising, scars, wounds)

• Suspicious tattoos or branding

  • Tattoos are often of poor quality and can depict pictures of weapons indicating association with gangs/crime. However, imagery may be diverse or idiosyncratic to the trafficking relationship, e.g., sentimental or romantic imagery

  • Tattoos may be highly visible, e.g., hands, neck, forearms, or more covertly located in the genital region or other less visible areas

Reference: Rambhatla R, Jamgochian M, Ricco C, Shah R, Ghani H, Silence C, Rao B, Kourosh AS. Identification of skin signs in human-trafficking survivors. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2021 Oct 2;7(5Part B):677-682. doi: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2021.09.011. PMID: 35028364; PMCID: PMC8714580.