Question

What is the American Psychiatric Association's position on therapy to change the sexual orientation of homosexuals?

A. This type of therapy should be encouraged
B. Homosexuality is a medical disorder
C. Only teens should be treated, before they become sexually active
D. There are few data showing negative outcomes of such therapy
E. No existing data support doing this therapy

Answer 1

The American Psychiatric Association does not support therapy aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation, recognizing that homosexuality is not a disorder and emphasizing that there is no scientific evidence supporting such interventions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The American Psychiatric Association's position on therapy to change the sexual orientation of homosexuals is that no existing data support conducting this type of therapy. The APA has clarified that homosexuality is not a medical disorder and that efforts to change someone's sexual orientation are not supported by scientific evidence. Indeed, past practices of trying to cure homosexuality have been widely seen as harmful. The historical pathologizing of gay and lesbian individuals by the APA began in the 1950s, but this position has drastically changed. By the 1970s, following advocacy and research showing that homosexuality was not a mental illness, the APA removed it from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Continued research has confirmed that sexual orientation is a stable characteristic that cannot be changed, further discrediting so-called 'conversion therapy.'