It is not affectionate, but still I am addicted. : A qualitative study about young womenwho use sex as a form of self-injury.

The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of why young women use sex as a form of self-injury. The empiricism consists of fifteen life stories either written by the young women themselves or with the help of an author. The study is based on a narrative method and the theoretical framework is founded on Goffman’s role theory; Goffman’s theory of social stigma and the concept of shame. The result of the study shows among other things that the young women often describe themselves as disgusting, filthy and have feelings of self- hatred and shame. They self-harm through sexual intercourse or acts as a way to regulate and relieve anxiety, but it only helps in the short run as the anxiety tends to get even stronger than before which leads to more self-harm. The young women often end up in a vicious circle that is hard to break. Furthermore the young women describe their upbringings lacking the presence and love of their parents.