Research indicates that after entering commercial sex trafficking, the average life expectancy is around how many years?

Research indicates that after entering commercial sex trafficking, the average life expectancy is around how many years?

• A. Approximately 7 years
• B. 6 years
• C. 8 years
• D. 9 years

Answer: (A)

The question assesses how devastating the mortality risk is for people sold into commercial sex trafficking and how quickly life can be cut short after entry. The best-supported figure from research and survivor-focused reports places the average life expectancy at about seven years after someone enters trafficking. This short horizon reflects a combination of acute violence, coercive control, and high-risk conditions that limit access to medical care, along with elevated rates of infectious disease, malnutrition, mental health crises, and exposure to lethal violence. While individual experiences vary—some dying sooner, others living longer—the seven-year mark is used because it represents the central tendency across multiple studies and contexts. The other options don’t align as closely with the widely cited average; they are further from the common estimate that researchers and service organizations frequently report.

The question assesses how devastating the mortality risk is for people sold into commercial sex trafficking and how quickly life can be cut short after entry. The best-supported figure from research and survivor-focused reports places the average life expectancy at about seven years after someone enters trafficking. This short horizon reflects a combination of acute violence, coercive control, and high-risk conditions that limit access to medical care, along with elevated rates of infectious disease, malnutrition, mental health crises, and exposure to lethal violence. While individual experiences vary—some dying sooner, others living longer—the seven-year mark is used because it represents the central tendency across multiple studies and contexts. The other options don’t align as closely with the widely cited average; they are further from the common estimate that researchers and service organizations frequently report.