Amputee fetishism
Encyclopedia
Acrotomophilia refers to a paraphilia
in which an individual expresses strong sexual interest in amputees. It is a counterpart to apotemnophilia
, the sexual interest in being an amputee.
(B.I.I.D.).
Amputee fetishism has been described as a form of abuse levelled at the relative vulnerability and dependence of disabled women and men.
. John Money (1977) used the terms autoapotemnophilia and alloapotemnophilia to describe the erotic interest of wanting to be or appear as an amputee versus wanting amputees as sexual partners; neither term has been widely used since. The term teratophilia is used to describe arousal from deformed or monstrous people.
Paraphilia
Paraphilia is a biomedical term used to describe sexual arousal to objects, situations, or individuals that are not part of normative stimulation and that may cause distress or serious problems for the paraphiliac or persons associated with him or her...
in which an individual expresses strong sexual interest in amputees. It is a counterpart to apotemnophilia
Apotemnophilia
Apotemnophilia is a neurological disorder in which otherwise sane and rational individuals express a strong and specific desire for the amputation of a healthy limb or limbs. It is due to hypothesized damage to the right parietal lobe, as the disorder has features in common with somatoparaphrenia...
, the sexual interest in being an amputee.
Interests and behaviours
In a survey of acrotomophiles, leg amputations were preferred over arm amputations; amputations of a single limb, over double amputations; and amputations that left a stump, over amputations that left no stump. According to Solvang (2007), “Devotees adhere to standard conceptions of attractiveness in all other matters outside of amputations.”Ethical issues
Some people question whether amputating one's own body parts or operating on a partner for the sake of sexual pleasure is ethical. For some, modifying the body is a private ritual of self-ownership and freedom of choice. Psychiatrists may make a diagnosis of Body integrity identity disorderBody integrity identity disorder
Body Integrity Identity Disorder , formerly known as Amputee Identity Disorder, is a psychological disorder wherein sufferers feel they would be happier living as an amputee...
(B.I.I.D.).
Amputee fetishism has been described as a form of abuse levelled at the relative vulnerability and dependence of disabled women and men.
Terminology
The term amelotatism has also been used to describe acrotomophilia. The sexual interest in being an amputee is apotemnophiliaApotemnophilia
Apotemnophilia is a neurological disorder in which otherwise sane and rational individuals express a strong and specific desire for the amputation of a healthy limb or limbs. It is due to hypothesized damage to the right parietal lobe, as the disorder has features in common with somatoparaphrenia...
. John Money (1977) used the terms autoapotemnophilia and alloapotemnophilia to describe the erotic interest of wanting to be or appear as an amputee versus wanting amputees as sexual partners; neither term has been widely used since. The term teratophilia is used to describe arousal from deformed or monstrous people.
See also
- List of paraphilias
- Attraction to disabilityAttraction to disabilityAttraction to disability is a sexualised interest of people in the appearance, sensation and experience of disability. It may extend from normal human sexuality into a type of sexual fetishism...
- Disability pretendersDisability pretendersA disability pretender is someone who behaves as if he or she is disabled.Pretenders may be the "missing link" between devotees and wannabes, proving an assumed continuum between those merely attracted to people with disabilities and those actively wishing to become disabled...
- Body dysmorphic disorderBody dysmorphic disorderBody Dysmorphic Disorder is a type of mental illness, a somatoform disorder, wherein the affected person is exclusively concerned with body image, manifested as excessive concern about and preoccupation with a perceived defect of his or her physical features...
- Genital modification and mutilationGenital modification and mutilationThe terms genital modification and genital mutilation can refer to permanent or temporary changes to human sex organs. Some forms of genital alteration are performed at the behest of an adult, with their informed consent. Others are performed on infants or children...
- Boxing HelenaBoxing HelenaBoxing Helena is a 1993 romantic drama film and the debut feature film by Jennifer Chambers Lynch, daughter of David Lynch. The film stars Julian Sands and Sherilyn Fenn as the eponymous Helena.-Plot:...
, a feature film concerning amputee fetishism - Katawa ShoujoKatawa Shoujois a bishōjo-style visual novel by Four Leaf Studios that tells a story of a young man and five other girls suffering with varying disabilities. The game uses a traditional text and sprite-based visual novel model with an ADV-style text box. As of now, only the demo has been released...
- DisabilityDisabilityA disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...