Human trafficking adding to SWFL HIV cases

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FORT MYERS, Fla.- WINK News has told you before about the problem of human sex trafficking in Southwest Florida and how it ruins the lives of young women.

But now we’re uncovering it’s leading to a spike in HIV cases and anyone can be a victim.

“They looked like they were married, some of them looked like they could be doctors, lawyers,” said human trafficking victim Kyla Massey, referring to the people she would have sex with for money.

The 25-year-old tells WINK News she was lured into human trafficking and sold like a product for sex.

“You are drugged up so you are not really thinking. I tried to fight so they wouldn’t stick me with needles and stuff,” said Massey.

Massey says pimps would hold her down, inject her with drugs and force her to having sex multiple times a day not knowing who was HIV positive.

“You literally feel like you are dying. Literally, you know, it hurts,” said Massey.

“She was sleeping with business people, she was sleeping with married people,” said Ramona Miller.

Miller helps take in girls that are being trafficked. She says it happens everywhere and it’s also adding to Lee County’s HIV cases.

“We are now number 11 in the state, but we are number one in our area,” said Miller.

Miller tells WINK News, Florida leads the country in HIV infections. Brand new numbers from the Florida Department of Health show Lee County is 11th in the state.

Lee County is also one of the counties leading the state in sexually transmitted diseases.

“The first thing people should do, is stop putting those stigmas on it, saying it is a black thing, gay thing, street thing, when in reality it is a people thing,” said Miller.

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