Purpose: Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are characterised by unstable relationships, identity, emotion regulation, and an increased fear of abandonment and sensitivity to rejection. There is a high prevalence of previous and/or childhood victimisation among those with BPD as well as tending to engage in more sexual risk taking (SRT) behaviour. People with BPD are therefore more likely to experience re/victimisation (e.g., sexual assault) in adulthood, because of their SRT. The present study aims to investigate the impact of victimisation and sexual esteem on SRT for those with BPD features. This study also explores the function of sex for those with BPD features and how these findings can potentially offer insights to supporting those with traits or a diagnosis of BPD.
Methods: The sample consisted of 118 participants, ranging from 18-53 years old. The sample included 68 females, 35 males, 9 non-binary, 3 transgender (2 transfeminine and 1 transmasculine), and ‘other’ (omnigender), with 2 participants not specifying a gender. In total 85 participants had BPD features. Those with BPD features or a clinical diagnosis were recruited through BPD forums on Reddit while the control group was recruited through SONA and Facebook. Following provision of consent, participants completed an online questionnaire measuring BPD features, sexual esteem, SRT behaviour and trauma history. Three open-ended questions were used to explore the participants’ most recent sexual encounter. Participants were separated into two groups to allow for comparisons across the BPD and non-BPD features groups. Analysis on the function of sex was specifically conducted for those in the BPD features group.
Results: There was no significant difference between SRT scores of BPD and non-BPD groups. However, those with BPD features scored themselves higher on sexual esteem. Regarding trauma histories, there was no significant difference in the existence of a trauma background but, those with BPD features scored significantly higher on the number of traumatic incidents experienced and had more cases of complex trauma than the non-BPD features group. From the qualitative analysis of individuals with BPD features 6 main themes were identified: sex for intimacy; sex for enjoyment; sex to please partner; sex as a coping mechanism; sexual risk taking; feeling a negative emotion following act.
Conclusions: The results highlight that current professional practice policies and intervention/treatment programmes for those with BPD should target sexual esteem and coping mechanisms, especially concerning their previous accounts of victimisation. Treatment also should focus on the function of sex and increase the support for the development of healthier romantic relationships.
Key words: Borderline Personality Disorder, Sexual Risk Taking, Victimisation, Sexual Esteem
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