The attention sex trafficking is receiving – from academia to Hollywood – underscores a growing recognition of the urgency to fight this violent oppression.

This August, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association emphasized the connection between sex trafficking and the spread of HIV in South Asia. Among the study’s conclusions was the need for greater emphasis on “reducing and intervening in sex trafficking in South Asia, particularly among the very young.”

“Dateline NBC” aired an hour-long broadcast on sex trafficking this August, highlighting International Justice Mission’s ongoing work to secure victim relief and perpetrator prosecution in Cambodia.

On Sept. 19, Lionsgate will release a film starring Kevin Kline entitled TRADE in 25 markets. Rated R, the film is an unflinchingly violent portrayal of the lives of two fictional sex trafficking victims, and will prompt questions about the reality and violence of sex trafficking.