Some doctors see homosexuality as a disease

Many doctors apparently rate homosexuality as a disease

08/05/2014

Numerous doctors in Germany offer a therapy against homosexuality, according to a recent research by the ARD magazine „panorama“. The described experiences of a gay ARD reporter raise considerable doubts about the doctors' minds. In some cases, the doctors even found ways to settle their highly questionable treatment through the health insurance.

Especially in devout Christian circles, homosexuality is often considered a condition requiring treatment. Here, the investigations have led the ARD reporter to a family doctor in Dresden, which would like to cure homosexual people allegedly. At least one year of psychotherapy should help to cure homosexuality. The doctor told the journalist that there are several causes for his homosexuality, such as a lack of appreciation by the father or excessive mothering. This would lead to a neurotic maldevelopment. In a trained physician a barely comprehensible statement. But the doctor is not alone with his view and so homosexuals are often subjected to the attempt of a therapeutic Umpolung. According to the ARD magazine, for example, the Association of Catholic Doctors in a leaflet Homosexuality as „mental disorder“ designated.

Serious consequences of attempts to reverse the polarity
According to the German Medical Association, this can have serious consequences for the homosexual patients who undergo therapeutic reversals. The senior physician Lieselotte Mahler from the Berlin Charité, a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy, explained „panorama“, that „Umpolungsversuche lead to depression and anxiety disorders“ can. In addition, was last year in a public statement of the General Assembly of the World Medical Association once again made it clear that homosexuality is not a disease, reports the ARD magazine weiter.Von the so-called conversion therapies was strongly discouraged due to the ineffectiveness and the threat of negative consequences for health. Mahler made it clear that those affected often had the feeling after unsuccessful attempts at change, „to have failed in therapy“, what to „Deep depression and anxiety disorders can lead to suicides“ could.

Billing via the health insurance?
In the self-experiment of the gay ARD report this was recommended by other doctors, among other things, a homoeopathic treatment of his homosexuality and a doctor performed even a kind of mental healing, in which he claims to have expelled at least one mind. The statements of the physicians repeatedly raises the question of how they could even reach an approbation. Even more incredible, however, is that they sometimes bluntly admit to settling their treatment through the statutory health insurance. Here are the treatments for example as „depth psychological therapy“, general „Treatment of a mental disorder“ or as „Discussion of a life-changing disease“ declared. The large health insurance companies (Barmer GEK, Techniker Krankenkasse and AOK) answered on request of the ARD magazine that the content of the therapy interview was not known to them and that the therapy sovereignty of the doctors applies here. In addition, complex approval procedures would apply to the settlement of such therapies. However, no health insurance company has responded to the question of whether the procedure is allowed in the bill, with an express NO, so „panorama“ continue.

German Medical Association: Homosexuality is not a disease!
However, in a letter to the ARD magazine, the German Medical Association made clear that homosexuality is not a disease and therefore „no cure“ - also none „homeopathic treatment“ requires. In addition, prayers and demon discharges are not medical treatments. To what extent the physicians may violate the medical code here, „can be answered only in knowledge of the specific case and only by the appropriate medical association“, explained the German Medical Association. (Fp)