A coalition of Missouri sex workers are starting an abortion fund to help sex workers pay for the costs of abortion in Illinois.

We’ve all heard the traumatic stories from our country’s opioid epidemic. They’re tales of addiction, rock bottom and recovery. But for women, opioid addiction leads many into sex trafficking to pay for drugs.

For some women addicted to opioids, selling sex to buy drugs can go become a dangerous way of life. When they want to seek help, treatment options are not always available quickly enough to provide them a safe path to recovery.

Addiction to heroin can trap women in a life of sex work and often leave them at risk of exploitation by human traffickers. One national hotline has tracked thousands of calls in the last three years from victims of human trafficking who report struggling with opioid addiction.