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27 Men Arrested in Agha Hammam, Beirut
On the ninth of August, Lebanese police, from the Hbeish police station, which has formerly been criticised for using the anal probe test to investigate human sexuality, arrested 27 men in a Beiruti bathhouse, Agha Hammam, in the Hamra-Concord district of Beirut. The police have reported that all men were unarmed and that the police had arrested the men based on tip-off information from a previously arrested gentleman, who claimed that Agha Hammam was a meeting place for men seeking to have sex with other men. The raid, according to Helem, the Arab World’s first LGBT rights organisation, is the largest since the Borj Hammoud cinema raid in 2013.
27 men have been arrested for public indecency in a Beirut bathhouse – rights groups, such as LebMASH have been calling for their release.
Whilst the anal test has been used by this particular police station before, despite the fact it runs against the Lebanese Order of Physicians’ (LOP) Code of Conduct, the police have announced that, thankfully, it was not inflicted upon these unfortunate men. However, Colonel Tony Haddad of the police has claimed that the sexual orientation of 24 of the men has been ‘confirmed’, whereas 3 of the men have been described ‘not gay’.
Despite the branding of the majority of these man as ‘Luwat’ by such media outlets as MTV Lebanon (translating to ‘fags’, in English), there is no proof that any sexual intercourse or activity was taking place at the time of the arrest. The owner, employees and all the clientele present at the time were arrested. The clientele remain in custody.
A coalition of 5 advocacy groups – Helem, The Arab Foundation for Freedom and Equality (AFE), The Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health (LebMASH), M-Coalition and Marsa Sexual Health Clinic – have come together and released a strong position statement, saying: “we denounce this incident as a case of homophobic practice that aims to police the sexual rights and liberties of the individuals involved… We call on the General Prosecutor and Hbeish police station to respect the dignity of the detainees and their rights to their (sexual) bodies.”
Legal Agenda, a human rights organisation in Beirut, have announced that the men have been held longer than is legally allowed by the Lebanese Penal Code, for, under Article 47, they may only be held for 48 hours, which is renewable once. However, under Article 105, crimes which are punishable by only one year in jail do not apply. The men are understood, however, not to be being charged with the standard Article 531, which condemns homosexual intercourse as ‘unnatural’, but, rather to be being charged with Article 521, which condemns public indecency.
Sarah Wansa, of Legal Agenda, told Al-Akhbar (a Lebanese daily newspaper), that they [Legal Agenda] no longer consider homosexuality to be a crime punishable under Article 534 because of its designation of homosexuality as ‘unnatural’ – a claim which LebMASH has been stridently fighting against through its seminars around Lebanon.
There have been two precedents where homosexuality has not been punished by Lebanese judges. However, because Lebanese law was based on the French Civil Law system, rather than the English Common Law system, these precedents do not change future rulings, meaning that homosexuals will still be at risk of prosecution under Article 534 is no longer applied to homosexuality.
LebMASH at Notre Dame University
LebMASH was invited to participate in a student project on sexual health in Lebanon. The project consisted of having an interview on a talk show organized by Amine Rhayem, 3rd year journalism student at the Notre Dame University. Rhayem chose to have LebMASH and Marsa (sexual health clinic) on his panel to discuss sexual health in Lebanon.
Dr. Omar Harfouch, Vice President of LebMASH, discussing with Amine Rhayem (NDU) and Yara Al Mousawi (Marsa)
LebMASH, represented by its vice president Omar Harfouch, talked about the difficulties that face individuals who seek sexual health services in clinics especially LGBT individuals and sexually active women. Harfouch also talked about LebMASH’s achievements so far on lobbying for the release of the Lebanese Psychiatric Society and Lebanese Psychological Association’s statements on homosexuality not being a disease and condemning so called reparative therapies. Harfouch also mentioned the recent educational sessions and workshops done with health care professionals on how to deal with LGBT health and sexual health. Marsa, represented by its communication officer Yara Al Mousawi, talked about the services that are offered to Marsa and about the discrimination that still surrounds sexual health in Lebanon.
The talk show was attended by professor and journalist May Chidiac who congratulated the guests on their work in the sexual health field.
We at LebMASH wish Amine Rahyem all the best on this project and thank him for thinking of us as an outlet to spread awareness on sexual health.
LebMASH at AUB: Clinical Approaches to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Patients
On the 31st May, 2014, the Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health (LebMASH) held a 5-session medical conference on
Dr. Faysal El Kak presents his talk on the discussion of same-sex sexual relations with regards to health.
health needs of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) individuals in Lebanon, in the West Hall of the American University of Beirut (AUB). The day commenced with an introduction by Dr. Faysal El-Kak, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Health Sciences at AUB. Drs. Hasan Abdessamad, founder and current president of LebMASH, and Omar Fattal, co-founder and executive board member of LebMASH, presented on the topic. Dr. Nesrine Rizk, AUB instructor of infectious diseases, gave an elaborate talk on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The session lasted throughout most of the day and was followed by a Q&A session with strong interaction from the audience.
Dr. Omar Fattal presenting his final talk of the day on LGBT health.
Dr. El Kak spoke about the need for such seminars, discussing how “no healthcare is complete without healthcare for all people, based in human rights” and that these seminars go a long way to helping people understand homosexuality and not view it simply in the light of the myths surrounding it.
Then, Dr. Fattal presented the same talk that he had given at Université Saint Joseph the previous week, which discussed the history of, and perceptions towards homosexuality. Focusing on the difference between attraction, behaviour and identity, he underlined that healthcare providers must not jump to making assumptions, without focusing on each area of the patient’s sexuality. However, he stressed that questions about sexuality and sexual health are of the utmost importance.
Dr. Hasan Abdessamad presents his talk on Lesbian health at the American University of Beirut.
Dr. Abdessamad discussed the health of lesbian patients (and you can watch his talk with Arabic subtitles on LebMASH’s YouTube channel). Briefly, he underlined specific challenges faced by Lesbian patients, such as access to care. He stressed that in an ideal world there would be no need to discuss lesbian health as a separate topic since physicians should provide care to all patients equally, regardless of their sexual orientation. However, we do not live in an ideal world. He elaborated on how Lesbian and bisexual women’s health differs from that of heterosexual women, such as an increase in heart disease, breast cancer, substance abuse or obesity among others. This difference is not based in intrinsic or biological factors but rather extrinsic ones due to social and institutional discrimination.
Dr. Nesrine Rizk took the attendees through the A to Z of STDs, showing pictures of what to look for and explaining the symptoms and likelihood of sexually transmitted diseases amongst various different social groups.
Dr. Nesrine Rizk discussing the various STIs which doctors must watch out for, focusing on the specific threats facing the LGBT community.
Finally, Dr. Fattal returned to the stage where he discussed barriers to care faced by LGBT patients and suggested various ways by which healthcare providers can improve LGBT patients’ experience when they seek medical care. For instance, he spoke at length on the need for an inclusive language and a welcoming and relaxed body language.
Dr. Nesrine Rizk discussing the various STIs which doctors must watch out for, focusing on the specific threats facing the LGBT community.
LebMASH would like to thank the Continuing Medical Education (CME) Office at AUB who helped organise the event and hosted us within the university.
Below is a link to a part of Dr. Hasan Abdessamad’s talk on Lesbian health.
Homosexuality seen by professionals
- En Français ici
Saint Joseph University’s Ethics Department & The Department of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine are pleased to invite you to a conference on “Homosexuality seen by professionals” at Amphitheater C at USJ’s Faculty of Medicine on May 29th 2014, 5-6:30 pm.
Moderators: Father Michel SCHEUER and Dr Sami RICHA
- Interviewing techniques when working with LGBT people – Dr Omar FATTAL (Psychiatrist – USA, Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health – LebMASH)
- Evolution of the perception of homosexuality by the medical profession – Dr. Hala KERBAGE (Psychiatrist – Hôtel-Dieu de France)
- Homosexuality beyond the social perception – Miss Mirna MZAWAK (Sociologist – Holy Spirit University of Kaslik – USEK)
LebMASH would like to thank Mr. Antoine Bedaoui for designing this event’s poster.
LebMASH responds to a concerned Lebanese
- إقرأ بالعربية هنا
On July 21st 2013, a “Concerned Lebanese” left the following comment on our post: Response to Dr. Khoury’s interview about homosexuality.
My apologies if I come across as belligerent, but I have some criticism of this article (Which I believe to be poorly researched)
Did you know that this “world leader on mental health” was actually bullied by gay activists for 3 years before they declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder?
Moreover, did you know that two FORMER PRESIDENTS of the APA (Robert Perloff & Nicholas Cummings) have accused it of being a biased organization that is swayed by lobbying? Pretty serious stuff.
Dr. Khoury seems to know about the political correctness running through the veins of the APA and other “objective” organizations. You, on the other hand, came across as naive. (Sorry, but it’s true)
Btw, I am not attacking homosexuality. I am instead hoping you would see the flaws in your arguments.
Executive Board Member of LebMASH, Omar Fattal has written an official response to the above concern:
Dear concerned Lebanese,
Thank you for your interest in our page and for your feedback.
In our reply to Dr. Khoury, we mention the American Psychiatric Association and not the American Psychological Association. Dr. Perloff and Dr. Cummings are both former presidents of the American Psychological Association and not the American Psychiatric Association.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is the official association that updates the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and they do so periodically. For example, in May of 2013, the APA came out with the DSM-V (five) which is the most recent version of the DSM.
The process of revising the DSM is an extremely complicated process. Just to give you an idea, the DSM-V Task Force and Work Groups were made up of more than 160 world-renowned clinicians and researchers who reviewed scientific literature and sought input from many advisors as the basis for proposing new draft criteria. Eventually, all proposed changes and revisions had to be approved by the board of trustees. Similarly, in 1974, the American Psychiatric Association went through a very complicated process to revise the DSM at that time.
The APA has several interest groups within its membership that does influence its policies and the organization does respond to external lobbying as well. However, the APA or any other professional organization for that matter is subjected to pressures from interest groups representing all points of views given a specific topic such as homosexuality. In the same way that there were groups in the years preceding 1974 asking the APA to remove homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses, there were other groups asking the APA to keep homosexuality on the list of mental illnesses. Also, just because a decision was made partially due to pressure from certain groups does not mean that the decision itself is not a valid one. The APA made its decision to remove homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses in the context of strong evidence that was supportive of the fact that homosexuality was common and that homosexuals did not have psychological issues due to homosexuality itself.
This evidence came from research done by Kinsey in the late 1940s and early 1950s showing for the first time that homosexuality was much more common than previously thought.
In 1951, Clellan Ford and Frank Beach’s showed that homosexuality was common across cultures and existed in almost all nonhuman species. Their work supported the notion that homosexuality was both natural and widespread.
There was also strong and ground-breaking research done by Evelyn Hooker in the mid 1950s. Her study, which other researchers subsequently repeated, showed that there was no detectable difference between homosexual and heterosexual men in terms of mental adjustment.
Since 1974, hundreds of professional mental health organizations across the world have come out with statements confirming that homosexuality is not an illness and requires no treatment. The renowned World Health Organization (WHO) which includes members from all over the world, deleted homosexuality from the list of illnesses in 1991. Most recently, the Lebanese Psychiatric Society (LPS) and the Lebanese Psychological Association (LPA) came out with strong public statements confirming that homosexuality is not a mental illness and requires no treatment. To our knowledge, the WHO, the LPS and LPA where not “bullied” by anyone to come out with these statements.
Almost 40 years have passed since the APA’s decision to remove homosexuality from the list of mental illness and the DSM has been revised several times since then. These four decades would have given anyone plenty of time to prove that homosexuality in itself is a disorder, however, this has not happened.
Third Lebanese Medical Group to denounce conversion therapy
The Lebanese Psychological Association (LPA) has just announced today that “homosexuality is not a mental illness and thus requires no treatment”. This comes one week after the Lebanese Psychiatric Society (LPS) released a similar statement and 2 month after our position statement on Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) or what is referred to as “conversion or reparative therapy”.
LPA strongly urges the media to verify the credentials of guests hosted to talk about psychology especially that this field is not very well controlled in Lebanon suggesting that some individuals might pretend to hold credentials they don’t have. This could be a reference to recent appearance of “psychologist” on OTV whose arguments about homosexuality were not scientifically accurate.
LebMASH commends LPA for releasing such an essential and over due position statement. This truly reflects LPA’s commitment to equality in healthcare, evidence-base medicine and prejudice-free practice.
Lebanese Psychiatric Society: Homosexuality is not a disease
Today Lebanon witnessed an important milestone for our healthcare system and for equality among all citizens.
The Lebanese Psychiatric Society just released a statement on Thursday, July 11 2013, declaring the following:
“Homosexuality is not a mental disorder and does not need to be treated.”
“Homosexuality in itself does not cause any defect in judgment, stability, reliability or social and professional abilities.”
“The assumption that homosexuality is a result of disturbances in the family dynamic or unbalanced psychological development is based on wrong information.”
The Lebanese Psychiatric Society announced its strong opposition to Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE).
This comes two months after we released our position statement against Sexual Orientation Change Efforts on May 17 2013.
We would like to thank the Lebanese Psychiatric Society for this essential position statement to clarify the facts, dispel the myths and provide guidance to mental health professionals practicing in Lebanon.
Below is a glimpse of Lebanese media coverage of this statement:
- LBCI – المثليون بالنسبة للبنانيين “مرضى” والقانون يعاقبهم
- The Daily Star – Homosexuality not a mental disorder: Psychiatric Society
- L’Orient Le Jour – La Société libanaise de psychiatrie, l’homosexualité et les « thérapies réparatrices »…
- الوكالة الوطنية للإعلام – الجمعية اللبنانية للطب النفسي: المثلية لا تحتاج الى علاج
- وطن – (الطب النفسي) في لبنان: المثلية ليست مرضا ولا اضطرابا نفسيا – وطن
- المستقبل – «اللبنانية للطب النفسي» تدعو الخبراء في مجال الصحة إلى اعتماد العلم حصراً عندما يعبّرون عن آرائهم
- جريدة السفير – اللبنانية للطب النفسي: معلومات خاطئة عن المثلية
- لبانون فايلز – الجمعية اللبنانية للطب النفسي علقت على “مواقف وأخبار” عن المثلي
- جريدة الديار – تغيير التوجه الجنسي ليس هدفاً ملائماً للعلاج النفسي
- Yagg – France Plusieurs associations de professionnel.le.s de la santé dénoncent les «thérapies réparatrices»
- Al-Arabiya – Saudi Arabia Are the Lebanese becoming more tolerant to homosexuality?
- Al-Bab – USA LGBT milestone in Lebanon
- LA Times – USA Lebanese medical group says being gay is not a disease
- Gay Star News – UK Lebanese Psychiatric Society declares being homosexual is not a mental illness
- Pink News – UK Lebanese Psychiatric Society makes unprecedented statement against gay conversion therapy
- The Huffington Post – USA Lebanon Says: Being Gay Is Not a Disease and Needs No Treatment
Response to Dr. Khoury’s interview about homosexuality
The Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health (LebMASH), in response to the interview conducted with Dr. Nabil Khoury by OTV on June 6th, 2013 would like to clarify the following:
The use of the terms “louti” (derogatory Arabic slang for gay) and “sou7ak” (derogatory Arabic slang for lesbian) is offensive and further alienates lesbian and gay individuals in Lebanon.
We call on all health care professionals in Lebanon to refrain from using such terms. The terms milthi (gay) and mithliyya (lesbian) are the appropriate, non-judgmental terms to use when discussing members of the gay and lesbian community. It is our duty as health care providers to help people attain healthier lives. Using derogatory terms to describe a group of individuals in our society fuels the abuse, bullying, prejudice, and discrimination to which this group is already subjected to and leads to worse health in these individuals. (1)
We agree with Dr. Khoury regarding the lack of association between secondary sexual characteristics and sexual orientation. A masculine man can be sexually attracted to other men and a feminine woman can be sexually attracted to other women.
Dr. Khoury disregards the current and evidence-based knowledge science provides us about homosexuality. Instead, he discusses different views that, in his opinion, explain homosexual tendencies. According to Dr. Khoury:
- The first view considers homosexuality pathological and secondary to hormonal imbalances.
- The second view is that of the church and Islamic Sharia which considers homosexuality abnormal and sees homosexuals as sinners.
- The third view is about triggering factors that can “cause” homosexuality such as over- and under-affection, sexual abuse, using feminine pronouns for boys and masculine pronouns for girls, and “negativity” that can lead to attention-seeking behavior. Dr. Khoury claims that “the most important factor that leads to homosexuality is sexual abuse.” He goes on to discuss that sexual abuse can lead to isolation, distrust and psychological problems, and therefore leads to homosexuality.
- Dr. Khoury adds that girls watching and interacting with other girls can lead to sexual attraction and homosexuality. He asserts that, in some cases, female homosexuality is due to failure of a woman to attract men. He claims that a woman would “become” a lesbian to compensate for her failure with men.
Unfortunately, almost all of what Dr. Khoury discussed is inaccurate and misleading. There is no scientific evidence linking spoiling children or sexual abuse with homosexuality. His attempt to explain female homosexuality is also not based on any evidence-based research or scientific knowledge.
We want to clarify that many theories have been proposed regarding the origins of homosexuality, but definitive answers have yet to be found. Research has not been able to discover the origins of homosexuality or of heterosexuality, for that matter. Similar to left-handedness and other human attributes, homosexuality is likely manifested due to a mixture of genetic, biological, and environmental factors.
We are surprised that Dr. Khoury speaks of a school which considers homosexuality a disease, when 40 years ago, in 1973, the American Psychiatric Association, a world leader on mental health, declassified homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. The following year, the American Psychological Association also declassified homosexuality as an illness. Since then, every major medical and mental health organization has followed suit. The World Health Organization (WHO) declassified homosexuality as a disorder in 1990. The WHO states that “in none of its individual manifestations does homosexuality constitute a disorder or an illness and therefore it requires no cure.” (2)
Currently, the global consensus among health care providers is that homosexuality is a normal and natural variation of human sexuality without any intrinsically harmful health effects. It is surprising and disappointing to see Dr. Khoury completely disregard this current common knowledge and instead, propagates out-dated stereotypes and misinformation that have clearly been proven to be false.
We are also very disappointed to see Dr. Khoury portray a very conflicted image of homosexuals who come out (i.e. those who do not hide the fact that he/she is gay/lesbian). Dr. Khoury uses the term “ positive rudeness” which is a very interesting and unusual term. He also states that these people are “out” because they have a “spirit of defiance.” We believe that gay and lesbian people are equal citizens in the societies where they live and therefore should have the right to express themselves without being called rude or defiant for simply being who they are.
Dr. Khoury refers to people who are not homosexual as being “3adi” (normal), which implies that he personally believes that being homosexual is abnormal.
Dr. Khoury also wrongfully explains that that Article 327 of the Lebanese Penal Code prohibits homosexuality. This is not true. Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code prohibits “unnatural sex between two people.” This law is often interpreted in Lebanon as referring to homosexual acts. In 2009, a verdict came out of a court in Batroun regarding Article 534, in which the judge discussed “nature,” negating the application of the article on homosexuals. (3)
When speaking of treatment, we agree with Dr. Khoury that sexual orientation cannot be changed. However, we are deeply concerned that he is admitting, on national television, that he encourages families to try to change their loved one’s sexual behavior.
Homosexual individuals in Lebanon suffer bullying, verbal and physical abuse, and discrimination from their families, schools, communities, and society at large. Around the world, fear of discrimination and prejudice has been found to alienate lesbian and gay individuals and lead to a delay in seeking health care. It remains our duty as health care providers to rid ourselves from any prejudice that might affect the health of our patients.
Dr. Khoury brings up a very troubling point at the end of his interview. He states that he sometimes recommends that people see homosexuality as a choice and treat it as such. Authorities in the field agree that sexual orientation is not a choice. In the same way that heterosexuality is not a choice, homosexuality is not a choice either. Suggesting that homosexuality is a choice puts homosexual people in Lebanon at higher risk for bullying, hate-crimes, and abuse since they may be perceived as willingly choosing what is morally unacceptable for the perpetuators of the discrimination.
Dr. Khoury ends his interview by asserting that we still do not have a good understanding of homosexuality and that we have no conclusive evidence about this subject. We would like to stress that this statement might have been true in 1969, but in 2013, we have overwhelming literature that indicates that homosexuality:
- Is not a choice
- Is not considered a disease
- Is considered a normal variation of human sexuality
- Cannot be changed and attempts to change from homosexual to heterosexual causes a great deal of harm to homosexual individuals.
LebMASH calls on all health care providers in Lebanon to be careful with the information they disseminate about homosexuality in the media. An up-to-date review of the scientific literature on the topic is necessary before any media appearance. LebMASH would be more than happy to provide any scientific evidence and literature needed on this topic. We owe it to the public to ensure the health information we are sharing is scientific, accurate, and unbiased.
References:
- Wagner GJ, Aunon FM, Kaplan RL, Karam R, Khouri D, Tohme J, Mokhbat J. Sexual stigma, psychological well-being and social engagement among men who have sex with men in Beirut, Lebanon. Cult Health Sex. 2013 May;15(5):570-82. (Abstract)
- The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization PAHO/WHO Position Statement. “Cures” for an illness that does not exist. 2012 May 17. (Retrieved on June 24 2013 from here)
- “Lebanese Judge Rules Against the Use of Article 534 To Prosecute Homosexuals” Bekhsous. 2009 Dec 28. (Retrieved on June 24 2013 from here)
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Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health
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Position Statement on Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE)
Beirut, May 17 2013- Homosexuals continue to face prejudice and discrimination within our Lebanese society. This prejudice and discrimination extend beyond the general public to some healthcare providers who continue to offer “Conversion or Reparative Therapy” with alleged goal of changing one’s sexual orientation.
The Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health (LebMASH) finds it necessary to clarify the following facts:
1. Homosexuality is not a disease – In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association, a world leader on mental health, declassified homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. The following year, the American Psychological Association declassified homosexuality as an illness. Since then, every major medical and mental health organization has come to embrace this view. The World Health Organization (WHO) declassified homosexuality in 1990.1 WHO states: “In none of its individual manifestations does homosexuality constitute a disorder or an illness and therefore it requires no cure.”2 Currently, the global consensus among healthcare providers is that homosexuality is a normal and natural variation of human sexuality without any intrinsically harmful health effects.
2. Origins of homosexuality are not known – Many theories have been proposed regarding the origins of homosexuality but definitive answers are yet to be found. Research has not been able to discover the origins of homosexuality or of heterosexuality, for that matter. Similar to left-handedness and other human attributes, homosexuality is likely manifested due to a mixture of genetic and environmental factors.
3. Homosexuality is not a choice – In the same way that heterosexuality is not a choice, homosexuality is not a choice either.3
4. Homosexuals are at higher risk for psychological problems – Homosexuality itself does not lead to mental illness. Stigma, peer rejection, discrimination, heteronormative bias, bullying, internalized prejudice, and the stress of disclosure about one’s sexual orientation to others (known as “coming out”) place homosexuals at a higher risk for psychological problems. This may include mood and anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and suicidal ideations and attempts. Such stressors cause more alienation and have grave effects on one’s health and wellbeing.4
5. Attempts to change one’s sexual orientation can be harmful – Efforts to change sexual orientation are not based on any sound scientific evidence. On the contrary, this practice has been abandoned due to proven failure and serious harmful effects. Dr Spitzer, the father of reparative therapy recanted his position on reparative therapy in 2012.5
Many health organizations have condemned these “therapies.” The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry warns about the lack of evidence that sexual orientation can be altered through therapy, and that attempts to do so may be harmful.4
The American Psychological Association Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation concluded that efforts to change sexual orientation are unlikely to be successful and involve some risk of harm, contrary to the claims of SOCE practitioners and advocates.6
The American Psychiatric Association recommends that ethical practitioners refrain from attempts to change individuals’ sexual orientation, keeping in mind the medical dictum to first, do no harm.7
Similarly, the American Academy of Pediatrics warns that any attempt to change sexual orientation is contraindicated since it can provoke guilt and anxiety while lacking potential for achieving changes in orientation.8
The American Medical Association opposes the use of ‘reparative’ or ‘conversion’ therapy.9
On May 17th 2012, 22 years after homosexuality was removed from the WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), the PAHO (Pan American Health Organization, a regional office of WHO) released a position statement stating that “‘Reparative’ or ‘conversion therapies’ have no medical indication and represent a severe threat to the health and human rights of the affected persons. They constitute unjustifiable practices that should be denounced and subject to adequate sanctions and penalties.”2
Based on the above, the Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health (LebMASH) urges healthcare providers in Lebanon to refrain from this unethical and potentially harmful practice. We also urge health care organizations to take a strong position against such practices.
LebMASH – The Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health
Citation:
Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health. Position Statement on Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE). May 17 2013 (Retrievable at https://lebmash.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/ps1-en)
References
1. World Health Organization (1994). International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (10th Revision). Geneva, Switzerland. (Retrieved on May 6 2013 from here)
2. The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization PAHO/WHO Position Statement. “Cures” for an illness that does not exist. 2012 May 17. (Retrieved on May 6 2013 from here)
3. American Psychological Association. (2008). Answers to your questions: For a better understanding of sexual orientation and homosexuality. Washington, DC: Author. (Retrieved on May 6 2013 from here)
4. Adelson SL; American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Committee on Quality Issues (CQI). Practice parameter on gay, lesbian, or bisexual sexual orientation, gender nonconformity, and gender discordance in children and adolescents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2012 Sep;51(9):957-74.
5. Benedict Carey. Psychiatry Giant Sorry for Backing Gay ‘Cure’. The New York Times – May 18, 2012 (Retrieved on May 6 2013 from here)
6. Report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation. (Retrieved on May 6 2013 from here)
7. APA Commission on Psychotherapy by Psychiatrists. Position statement on therapies focused on attempts to change sexual orientation (reparative or conversion therapies). Am J Psychiatry. 2000 Oct;157(10):1719-21.
8. Committee on Adolescence – American Academy of Pediatrics. Homosexuality and Adolescence. Pediatrics 1993 Oct;92 (4):631-34. (Retrieved on May 6 2013 from here)
9. H-160.991, Health Care Needs of the Homosexual Population. The American Medical Association Policies on GLBT Issues. (Retrieved on May 6 2013 from here)
Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health 