Sexploitation

Sex sells, but who’s buying? Sadly, too many in too many places in America, including St. Louis.

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It hurts my heart to think that something God created to be sacred and wonderful is warped and destroyed by evil hearts.

Sex is exploited in so many ways, from television to movies to magazines.

 Media shrugs sex off as something to be used to make sales.

Sex is used in such common places that our culture has dulled it down to the point where the meaning and the sacredness of what it’s meant to be have become absent.

The phrase “sex sells” always hides the fact that somewhere someone is paying with their body.

Some people may say slavery no longer exists but facts prove otherwise.

According to the Covering House facts page, in the United States human trafficking generates about $9.5 billion a year.

Human trafficking comes in a severe form, sex trafficking.

Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.

Sex trafficking is a result of many different reasons.

Someone may have a promise of a good job in another country or a false marriage proposal turned into an abduction.

Individuals have been sold into the sex trade by parents, husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, or kidnapped by traffickers.

In all cases the result is the same: someone, a male or female, is taken against their will and forced to commit sexual acts.

Traffickers use multiple methods to control their victims, ranging from rape, drug use or threats.

Victims are at risk of suffering mental and physical harm while they are being held captive.

You may be wondering why this is relevant to me as a writer.

The reason is that I live in St. Louis, which is on the list of top 20 trafficked cities for sex.

In St. Louis there is an organization known as the Covering House that provides victims with a safe home.

I was able to find some valuable information about Covering House.

The Covering House was founded by Dedee Lhamon, who was motivated as a Christian to create a place where sex-trafficked victims could be safe.

In August 2010, the Covering House became an official 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Covering House does not have any religious affiliation but welcomes all religious beliefs and creeds.

The safe house location is confidential to prevent any unwanted individuals from harming the residents.

You can volunteer to help and be part of Covering House.

If you are interested in helping out at Covering House, check them out here.

I am glad to know that someone is making an effort to help women who are victims of this atrocity.