TY - JOUR
T1 - Pregnancy Outcomes Among Girls Impacted by Commercial Sexual Exploitation
AU - Barnert, Elizabeth S.
AU - Godoy, Sarah M.
AU - Hammond, Ivy
AU - Kelly, Mikaela A.
AU - Thompson, Lindsey R.
AU - Mondal, Sangeeta
AU - Bath, Eraka P.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Academic Pediatric Association
PY - 2020/5/1
Y1 - 2020/5/1
N2 - Objective: We measured pregnancy rates and pregnancy outcomes among girls with histories of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), and then quantified the associations between the outcome of pregnancy with: a) girls’ exposure to childhood adversity, and b) their behavioral health. This is the largest study of pregnancy outcomes and associated factors among girls impacted by CSE in the United States. Methods: We reviewed court files of participants in a juvenile specialty court for youth impacted by CSE, between 2012 and 2016. We collected data on pregnancy, health, and social factors. Data were updated through 2018 and descriptive statistics were calculated. Two-sample tests for equality of proportions explored associations between pregnancy with adverse childhood experiences and the girls’ behavioral health profiles. Results: Among the 360 biological females, 31% had ever been pregnant. Of the girls ever pregnant, 18% had multiple pregnancies. Outcomes for the 130 reported pregnancies were: 76% live births; 13% therapeutic abortions; 5% miscarriages or stillbirths; and 6% of pregnancies were ongoing at case closure. Parental incarceration and histories of maternal substance abuse were both associated with pregnancy. Conclusions: High pregnancy rates among girls with histories of CSE suggest the importance of applying a reproductive justice approach to deliver reproductive education, family planning services, prenatal care, and parenting support to girls impacted by CSE.
AB - Objective: We measured pregnancy rates and pregnancy outcomes among girls with histories of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), and then quantified the associations between the outcome of pregnancy with: a) girls’ exposure to childhood adversity, and b) their behavioral health. This is the largest study of pregnancy outcomes and associated factors among girls impacted by CSE in the United States. Methods: We reviewed court files of participants in a juvenile specialty court for youth impacted by CSE, between 2012 and 2016. We collected data on pregnancy, health, and social factors. Data were updated through 2018 and descriptive statistics were calculated. Two-sample tests for equality of proportions explored associations between pregnancy with adverse childhood experiences and the girls’ behavioral health profiles. Results: Among the 360 biological females, 31% had ever been pregnant. Of the girls ever pregnant, 18% had multiple pregnancies. Outcomes for the 130 reported pregnancies were: 76% live births; 13% therapeutic abortions; 5% miscarriages or stillbirths; and 6% of pregnancies were ongoing at case closure. Parental incarceration and histories of maternal substance abuse were both associated with pregnancy. Conclusions: High pregnancy rates among girls with histories of CSE suggest the importance of applying a reproductive justice approach to deliver reproductive education, family planning services, prenatal care, and parenting support to girls impacted by CSE.
KW - child sex trafficking
KW - commercial sexual exploitation of children
KW - commercial sexual exploitation of youth
KW - pregnancy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85078042628&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85078042628&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.acap.2019.12.005
DO - 10.1016/j.acap.2019.12.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 31841662
AN - SCOPUS:85078042628
SN - 1876-2859
VL - 20
SP - 455
EP - 459
JO - Academic Pediatrics
JF - Academic Pediatrics
IS - 4
ER -