Aversion Therapy for Homosexuality

Abstract

To the Editor. —The Nov 13,1987, issue of JAMA contains a COUNCIL REPORT 1 that presents views of the scientific literature as of February 1987. One of the views, that for homosexuality is appropriate only when a patient is uncomfortable with his or her was based on the DSM-III disorder ego-dystonic homosexuality. 2 This diagnosis was used by some clinicians to justify providing aversion therapy to change the orientation of patients who were distressed by their homosexuality. In May 1987, the American Psychiatric Association removed the diagnosis of ego-dystonic homosexuality from the revised edition of DSM-III because there is no scientific basis for diagnosing homosexuality as a disorder. Now, a patient distressed about orientation, whether heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual, may be diagnosed as sexual disorder not otherwise specified. 3 The disorder is the distress , not the orientation, and treatment should be aimed at relieving