Reasons Why People Seek To Change Sexual Orientation
A majority of people who attempt to change their sexual orientation come from conservative religious backgrounds. A study by Spitzer found that 79% of 200 men and women who said they changed their sexual orientation were motivated by religion, with 93% indicating that religion is "extremely" or "very" important. Others indicated their desire came from moral or social values, which may be independent of their religion. Many people also say they wish to remain faithful to a spouse, or wish to enter into an opposite-sex marriage. Spitzer's study indicated that 67% of the men and 35% of women listed this as a reason.
Many people may seek to change their sexual orientation as a way to avoid behaviors which they perceive as being associated with homosexuality, such non-monogamy. Some men perceive that men who have sex with men are at higher risk for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases, and seek to change their sexual orientation to avoid what they see as risky sexual behavior.
An APA task force found that people often sought out SOCE due to (a) a lack of other sources of social support; (b) a desire for active coping and (c) access to methods of sexual orientation identity exploration and reconstruction. The American Psychological Association states that harassment and abuse, as well as pressure from family, peers, and religious groups ignorant about and prejudiced against homosexuality, may cause high levels of emotional stress for LGB people. These pressures may lead people to feel forced into attempting to change their sexual orientation. Other researchers have found that social pressure plays a key role in a person's desire to change his or her sexuality.
Read more about this topic: Sexual Orientation Change Efforts
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