Do scientists study homosexuality in order to find a ‘cure’ or ‘treatment’?
Most researchers study homosexuality in order to understand how people come to have the sexual interests they have. In other words, researchers are simply trying to explain why some people have sexual interest in males, in females, in specific sexual practices, and so on. The study of sexual orientation is one part of the scientific study of human sexual development. Therefore, most researchers do not study homosexuality in order to find ‘cures’ or ‘treatments,’ and that is certainly not our motivation. Some researchers do believe, however, that homosexuality is a mental disorder or dysfunctional psychological adaptation. Some of these researchers would like to find a method to prevent homosexuality or to eliminate it. Most of the world’s leading professional organizations in psychiatry and psychology do not accept this view as sound, and neither do we. It is unlikely that research will identify any simple intervention that could alter any person’s sexual orientation. Many methods have
