title: [Body piercing--risks, consequences and psychological background of a cultural phenomenon].
abstract: Many different medical specialists are confronted with the increasingly popular practice of body piercing in their daily practice. This paper describes the most typical forms of this body modification practice, their origins and peculiarities as well as their complications and side effects. Some of the multi-facetted and often intense psychological motivations for body piercing are explored.
authors.affiliation: Klinikum der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie I, Frankfurt am Main. stirn@em.uni-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: Aglaja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stirn
mesh_terms: D046288:Body Piercing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003469:Culture; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors