Social acceptance of body piercing

Introduction
There is a noticeable increase in the popularity of body piercings among people in early adulthood. The decision-making process related to body piercing does not always take into account social acceptance, and in particular the prospective impact of having unusually placed piercings on the co-creation of a relationship.

Aim of the research
The aim of the study was to assess the level of social acceptance of body piercing procedures.

Material and methods
The study sample included 500 people aged 20–23 who have body piercing. The control group of 500 people consisted of women who did not have body piercings except for the earlobes and men who did not have any body piercings.

Results and conclusions
Respondents’ beliefs about the social acceptance of body modifications differed depending on whether they had unusually placed piercings (2 = 16.7; p = 0.002). Both in the study group and in the control group, body piercings were more accepted in women than in men. Men with body piercings indicated different piercing places accepted for women than men without piercings. Representatives of the study group were more willing to accept men having earrings than the control group (2 = 147.8; p < 0.001). An unusually placed body piercing on a potential partner influenced the decision-making process regarding whether to engage in a relationship (2 = 6.4; p = 0.011).