Introduction. Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a group of genetic diseases involving progressive weakness and degeneration of the muscles that control movement. In some forms of MD, the heart muscles and other involuntary muscles, as well as other organs, are affected.
According to the Attorney General's 2001 report, an estimated 14,000 people are trafficked into the United States each year, although, again because trafficking is illegal, accurate statistics are difficult to compile.
Accordingly, an estimated 80 percent of trafficking victims worldwide are women and children. 10. In the United States, victims of trafficking are almost exclusively immigrants, and mostly immigrant women. 11 The average age of trafficking victims in the U.S. is 20. 12 In the U.S., immigrant women and children are particularly vulnerable to the deceptive and coercive tactics of traffickers because of their lower levels of education, inability to speak English, immigration status, and lack of ...