Abstract
Review of Removing Homosexuality and Masturbation from the List of Sexual Dysfunctions in DSM
Author(s): Sayed Ali Marashi*Context: Can homosexuality and masturbation be considered as normal behaviors as APA mentioned? What scientific findings or logic reasons are there for supporting or refusing APA’s view about these behaviors?
Evidence acquisition: In the present article APA’s impressions and reasoning about healthy and normal behaviors was reviewed to reveal if APA observed the criteria of healthy behaviors when it decided to exclude homosexuality and masturbation from DSM. Also, other evidences that confirm or reject this point of view were reviewed.
Results and discussion: According to many authors, social and political pressures simply forced APA to exclude homosexuality and masturbation from the list of sexual disorders in DSM through “voting” not according to scientific findings. Then APA argued for reasoning the emprise. Almost all the reasons provided by homosexuality and masturbation supporters are philosophical comprehensions about distinguishing abnormal from normal situations, including high prevalence of a certain behavior, being comfortable with it, being intractable, being observed in animals and lack of dysfunction due to a certain behavior as reasons for the behavior to consider it as a normal behavior. According to APA’s own criteria, contradictions of APA’s reasoning are shown and scientific and logic reasons are presented that show masturbation and homosexuality should be considered as abnormal behaviors. We reviewed “statistical”, “well-being”, “dysfunction”, “anatomo-physiological” and “social norm” criteria for healthy sexual behaviors and showed that, according to the real healthy criteria, masturbation and homosexuality are not normal behaviors. Also, research findings overall do not support APA’s view about masturbation and homosexuality, rather confront it.
Conclusion: A detailed review shows that the reasons for the elimination of homosexuality and masturbation from DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) were not scientific reasons, but the real causes for this move were philosophical, libertarian, and social and political considerations. So, therapists do not need to follow this view. Instead, there are many reasons and evidences that show these behaviors are abnormal and harmful. It is therefore recommended that therapists and researchers seek effective ways to treat these two disorders, and at least not encourage these behaviors.