%0 Journal Article
%T A case of genital self-mutilation in a female - symptom choice and meaning
%J Journal of sex and marital therapy
%D 2016
%A Conde, Ema
%A Santos, Telma
%A Leite, Rita
%A Vicente, Carla
%A Figueiredo, António Mesquita
%V 43
%N 6
%P 560-566
%X Self-mutilation is understood as any willful gesture or alteration of the body tissue, without a suicidal intent. The commonest self-mutilating gestures are, to a great extent, those that are superficial or moderate, such as cuts, burns or bites. The most severe, as is the case of genital self-mutilation (GSM), are extremely rare and, in most cases, observed in patients suffering from psychosis. Furthermore, they are mostly reported from a surgical standpoint. Here, we report the case of a 20-year-old female patient who resorted to the emergency department (ED) after having amputated her clitoris with a surgical scissor. This dramatic gesture, coupled with the patient's narrative, prompted for differential diagnosis between a psychotic syndrome and a severe personality disorder. We propose that, albeit the magnitude of the self-harm, it is possible to conceptualize this GSM within a disturbed personality with significant sexuality issues and, therefore, this case report aims to broaden the limits that have been associated to the self-mutilating gestures in borderline personality disorder (BPD).<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Informa - Taylor and Francis Group
%@ 0092-623X
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2016.1208699