Elective amputation of healthy limbs : The ethical permissibility of BIID treatments

Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) is a scarcely researched condition in which a person wishes to amputate a healthy limb or to become otherwise disabled or impaired because of a mismatch between their identity and physical body. There are no clear answers as to what causes the condition, nor how best to treat those suffering from it. The purpose of this paper is to investigate and argue for the permissibility of elective amputation on BIID-patients performed by health care workers, in certain regulated cases. Arguments are made under the principles of biomedical ethics suggested by Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress. I argue that those suffering from BIID can be seen as competent autonomous decision-makers, that there are substantial benefits possible to achieve, that the harm involved is not always perceived in the relevant way and to show how closely connected theories of justice can be incorporated. I also explore and argue against ableist attitudes that may be present in the debate.