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We asked respondents specifically about intimate relationships, but responses were not
extensive. Typically, no particular issues were described, and respondents did not seem to
regard the topic as a critical issue. One responded more directly:
“He touches me there, it's not like it's out of bounds or anything, it's no more out
of bounds than any other part of my body.” (Respondent 2)
DISCUSSION
Only a small number of women wished to participate in this element of the study, and it is
doubtful whether the themes identified here are exhaustive. Moreover, it is entirely possible that
the generally positive picture of adjustment presented here is a characteristic only of people
who are willing to engage in detailed discussion of their experiences. Accordingly, broader
recruitment of people from this group would be an important additional study. It would also be
informative to include participants who choose not to wear prosthetic devices.
Regardless of this limitation, the issues raised by respondents during the interviews offer a
detailed impression of their experiences. Respondents generally reported a pattern of
successful adjustment to limb absence, even though they acknowledged both that this was a
process requiring effort and also that it was sometimes punctuated with periods of distress.
Several of the areas reported in Saradjian et al’s (2007) study were confirmed here (e.g. role of
the prosthesis; role of support and social interaction, positive mental attitude). There were also
interesting departures from Saradjian et al. First, not all respondents reported the use of the
prosthesis as a compensatory device in terms of a role in minimising their sense of difference
from others. In one case where the prosthesis was used in this way, the rationale was highly
specific – it was a temporary measure so that others would, on first acquaintance, not see the
respondent solely in terms of their limb absence. Second, although there was some variation,
there were indications that the prosthesis contributed to the person’s body image and sense of
self in a positive way. This was related by one respondent to the idea of acceptance of the self
rather than acceptance of the prosthesis.
The frequent previous finding in visible difference research with regard to the potentially
negative role of other people was repeated here, as was the description of inferences and
predictions about the attitudes and behaviours of others. Confronting obstacles and regarding
them as challenges were identified as important in adaptation.
The accounts by women with prostheses in the current study add to the weight of evidence
regarding the role of active coping strategies in mediating adjustment to visible difference,
particularly in the face of often negative behaviours by members of the public. This in turn
reinforces the importance of promoting both such active coping in people with visible
difference,and education and attitude change in the general public.
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