IMPACT OF DISFIGURING BURN SCARS ON ADOLESCENT SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

It is popularly believed that disfiguring scars compromise the burned adolescent's ability to establish satisfactory dating relationships an d to develop positive identities as sexually attractive people. The pu rpose of this study was to test that belief by obtaining information a bout the sexual behaviors and beliefs of adolescents who have disfigur ing scars. Nineteen adolescents, ages 13 to 20 and at least 1 year pos tburn, completed a sexuality survey entitled What Young People Believe and Do-Revised. When compared with the available information, adolesc ents with disfiguring burn scars appear to have thoughts, feelings, an d behaviors that are similar to those of nonburned adolescents. The se verity of disfigurement as measured by numbers of affected body areas does not seem to be related to the sexual behaviors of the teenagers i n this sample.