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" This content is provided in partnership with GUCCI Beauty for CHIME FOR CHANGE. The Situation When most people hear the word &amp;quot;trafficking,&amp;quot; they tend to think about drugs and guns\u2014the two items most often discussed in conversations about smuggling across international borders. Humans come in third. While it&amp;#039;s impossible to accurately report the actual number of those currently affected, according to the U.S. State Department, 27 million people around the world at any given time are victims of trafficking. More than 70 percent are women and girls, the majority of whom are used for the sole purpose of forced commercial sex exploitation\u2014namely pornography and prostitution. The many horrors trafficked victims face as vulnerable sex slaves are unimaginable. Aside from sexual, physical, mental and emotional abuse by their abductors and &amp;quot;pimps,&amp;quot; victims are often &amp;quot;purchased&amp;quot; multiple times a day, putting them at risk for health issues, including unwanted pregnancies and subsequent abortions, and depriving them of basic necessities like food, water and adequate sleep. Many are drugged to help keep them captive. The bottom line: human trafficking is a modern form of slavery\u2014and it&amp;#039;s happening right under your nose. Making a Difference &amp;quot;My Life My Choice&amp;quot; is a Los Angeles-based prevention program for high-risk youth or those who have been commercially exploited or domestically trafficked. Operated by The Mary Magdalene Project in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Probation Department, the program offers critical education and tools to young, at-risk girls. In an effort to widen its impact, The Mary Magdalene Project hopes to expand its reach to more girls who will benefit from a curriculum designed to enlighten them about the commercial sex industry, as well as build their self-esteem and personal empowerment. Click here to support The Mary Magdalene Project&amp;#039;s effort to educate youth to prevent sex trafficking. To learn more about the Chime for Change campaign to convene, unite and strengthen the voices speaking out for girls and women around the world, visit chimeforchange.org.      Photo Credit: Associated Press "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/advertorial/a6759/human-trafficking-slavery-today/>