ABSTRACT
Almost all factitious disorder patients who feign blood disorders through the use of self-bleeding or other means are medical professionals and most are women, usually nurses. Other theories about the reasons for self-bleeding are discussed toward the conclusion of the chapter. Rebecca was a 30-year-old laboratory technician who sought medical care for heavy menstrual bleeding. During 14 months between late 1953 and January 1955, she received 40 blood transfusions for recurrent anemia, even though she showed no external signs of blood loss and tests revealed no evidence of hemolysis. For instance, in the Middle Eastern country of Yemen, an 18-year-old girl suffering from Munchausen syndrome arrived at a hospital bleeding from several places on her body. Researchers note that a number of pregnant women diagnosed with Munchausen syndrome have induced bleeding in themselves. Nurses thought that the color seemed too intense for real blood, so it was tested and found to be an exogenous red liquid.
