Ministry of Health of Vietnam: Homosexuality, bisexuality is not a disease

On August 3, 2022, the Ministry of Health issued Official Dispatch 4132/BYT-PC to correct medical examination and treatment for gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

According to the Official Dispatch, in the face of the situation of some medical examination and treatment facilities and some doctors claiming to cure homosexuality, the Ministry of Health said that the American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization have confirmed that homosexuality is not a disease, so it cannot be "cured", does not need to be "cured", and cannot be changed.

On May 17, 1990, WHO officially removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses.

Since 1994, homosexuality is no longer considered a disease, not included in the DSM 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). The WHO also confirms that "homosexuality is not a disease" but rather people who have sexual orientation with people of the same sex.

Homosexuality and transgenderism were removed from the chapter of Mental and Behavioral Disorders by WHO in the International Nomenclature of Diseases (ICD) in 1990 and 2019, respectively.

Therefore, the Ministry of Health requires medical examination and treatment facilities to strengthen propaganda and dissemination so that doctors, health workers, and people who come for medical examination and treatment understand properly about gay, bisexual, and transgender people. 

Medical examination and treatment for homosexual, bisexual, and transgender people must be organized equally, with respect for gender, without discrimination against these subjects.

In particular, do not consider homosexuality, bisexuality, or transgender as diseases, and do not intervene and force treatment on these people. Only psychological support is provided by people with knowledge of gender identity.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health directed that the inspection and examination of medical examination and treatment establishments and practitioners be strengthened in order to ensure that the principles of medical examination and treatment practice are followed. 

Please Login to be able to download