Frequently Asked Questions

  • For many reasons, some people do not view or label their experiences as sex trafficking. In effort to represent as many people with lived experience, we focus on shared experiences rather than a single way of defining something so complex.

    We do not require people to identify their experiences using a term that does not resonate with them, like “sex trafficking”, in order to participate in the contest.

    If you have lived experience with any of the following, we want to hear from you!

    • coerced sex work

    • sex trafficking

    • engaged in the sex trades before the age of 18 (includes survival sex).

    • have been forced or coerced by another person to exchange sex.

  • Yes - you can submit up to 2 entries! One per each category.

  • No, if you’re located anywhere in the United States you’re welcome to participate!

  • Only members of the research team, judges and our Community Collaborative Research Board (CCRB) will view submissions. Judges include people with lived experience, healthcare workers, service providers and community advocates.

    Your entry will be assigned a four digit number upon receipt so that the contact information you provide is never associated with your entry during judging.

  • Your submission may be used to create a digital toolkit designed to encourage people with lived experience of sex trafficking or coerced sex work to order free sexual health testing kits and overdose prevention kits. Even if your entry is not selected as a winner, your submission will help health departments across the country change how they talk to and support people with lived experience

  • Yes! All contestants will receive a $15 virtual gift card for each eligible entry (2 maximum), which will be sent to the email address provided with their submission. Entries will be screened for eligibility within 14 days of submission and virtual gift cards will be sent during this time frame for each eligible entry.

    We also provide larger prizes for winning entries! Prizes are listed below:

    • 1st place - $350

    • 2nd place - $250

    • 3rd place - $150

    • Honorable mentions (10 winners) - $50

  • Contest winners will be announced via email in late September. If you are selected as a winner, we will send you an additional message directly with your grand prize.

  • Your safety is most important to us. We have developed and implemented a safety protocol to protect contestant’s privacy. This protocol has been approved by Columbia University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure it meets ethical standards for research. This project is also protected by a Certificate of Confidentiality administered by the National Institute of Health. This means that in the rare chance the courts subpoena our records, our team is not legally required to provide any data collected during this study to law enforcement or the courts.

    Also, at no time are contestants required to provide personal identifying information. You are able to use a nickname or alias when submitting.

    You can also create a new email address with no identifying information using Gmail if you would like to stay completely anonymous.

  • This study does not provide emergency or direct support services.

    On our Support Resources page, we have provided contact information for a range of supportive resources that may be helpful, including community specific resources.

    FYI: Some hotlines are strictly for support (often referred to as helplines), while others also function as law enforcement tiplines. The National Human Trafficking Hotline is also a Tipline that works with local and federal law enforcement. In some situations, the hotline is legally required to report what you say to law enforcement.

    For immediate, confidential help refer to our Support Resources page for a list of 24/7 hotlines