Homosexuality Is A Mental Disorder

I will now defend my claim that homosexuality is a mental disorder. According to Wikipedia, a mental disorder is "a psychological pattern or anomaly, potentially reflected in behavior, that is generally associated with distress or disability, and which is not considered part of normal development of a person's culture. " When broken down into four separate criteria, it is more easily seen how homosexuality fits this description of mental disorder. These criteria are:1. Psychological pattern or anomaly2. Potentially reflected in behavior3. Generally associated with distress or disability4. Not considered part of normal development of a person's culture. Homosexuality fits criterion 1 because it is a psychological anomaly. A psychological anomaly is a psychological trait that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected. Homosexuality is behavior that deviates from the standard. As the majority of people are heterosexual, and heterosexual activity is the only sexual activity required for the survival of our species, heterosexuality is the standard. So homosexuality fits criterion 1. Homosexuality fits criterion 2 because it is potentially reflected in behavior. Given that homosexuality can be, and is, reflected through homosexual behavior, such as anal intercourse between two males, this point is not arguable. Homosexuality fits criterion 3 because it is generally associated with distress. Homosexuals are seven times more likely to commit suicide than heterosexuals. (1) According to the academic, peer-reviewed Journal of Human Sexuality, "a score of mental health conditions in almost every DSM category are present in the general [homosexual] population at rates three or more times greater than in the heterosexual population. These conditions include bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia, but more predominantly consist of mood disorders, depression, substance abuse, and suicidality. " (2) It can be argued that distress among the homosexual population is largely due to social stigma; however, this doesn't change the fact that homosexuality meets criteria 3 by being generally associated with distress. Homosexuality meets criterion 4 because it is not considered part of normal development in American culture. The laws that have been put in place by society reveals what is considered normal, and only nine out of fifty states have legalized homosexual-marriage. If the majority of society truly considered homosexuality normal, a majority vote would have changed these laws. In summary, homosexuality meets Wikipedia's criteria for what constitutes a mental disorder. I will now demonstrate how homosexuality fits another definition of mental disorder. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, a mental disorder is "any illness with significant psychological or behavioral manifestations that is associated with either a painful or distressing symptom or an impairment in one or more important areas of functioning. " When broken down into 3 separate criteria, it can be easily demonstrated how homosexuality meets the encyclopedia's definition of a mental disorder. These criteria are:1. Illness2. Significant psychological or behavioral manifestations3. Associated with either a painful or distressing symptom or an impairment in one or more important areas of functioningHomosexuality meets criterion 1 because it is an illness. 'Illness,' according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is "an unhealthy condition of body or mind. " Homosexuality is an unhealthy condition of the mind. At worst, it's a "lethal behavioral addiction", according to Kathleen Melonakos, M. A. , R. N. (3) At best, it's a predisposition towards unhealthy behavior, like exceptionally dangerous sexual practices. Homosexual and bisexual men are more severely affected by HIV than any other group in the United States, says the U. S. government; (4) 44 times more likely to be infected than straight men, in fact. The risk for syphilis is even greater. (5) According to the Scientific Advisory Committee of N. A. R. T. H. , "[h]omosexuality is not without significant risk to medical, psychological, and relational health. " (6) Homosexuality in men is associated with increased psychiatric morbidity, particularly in terms of depression, anxiety disorders, and suicidal behavior. (7)Homosexuality meets criterion 2 because it has significant behavioral manifestations. This fact is undisputable; anal intercourse between men is a well-known example. Homosexuality meets criterion 3 because it associated with an impairment in important areas of functioning. One important area of impairment is the ability to survive; homosexuality carries with it a seven-fold increase in the probability that one commits suicide. According to the author of the medical reference book, Saunders Pocket Reference for Nurses, homosexuality is more deadly than smoking, alcoholism, or drug addiction. (3) Men and women in same-sex marriages have a shorter life-span than the general population. (10) The International Journal of Epidemiology says that life expectancy for gay and bisexual men is about sixteen years less than for all men. (9) Furthermore, the risk of life-threatening disease in the homosexual community is greater than the medical risk of any activity for any comparable group. (8) Another important area where homosexuality is associated with impairment is sexual functioning. By its very nature, homosexuality discourages procreative intercourse, and by extension, the survival of the human species. Also, according to a study performed by the Kinsey Institute, gay men are more likely to suffer erectile dysfunction than heterosexual men. (11)Yet another impaired area of functioning is parenting. The difficulties confronted by lesbian mothers or gay fathers is similar to those faced by singleparents and divorced households. On top of this is the additional burden of wrestling with the social stigma associated with homosexuality. (14) Also, given that homosexuality is associated with a general elevation of risk for anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders and for suicidal thoughts and plans, (12) it logically follows that homosexuality is associated with an impairment of parenting ability. Furthermore, recreational drug use is more common in gay and lesbian people than in the heterosexual population, and lesbians are at greater risk of alcohol problems than heterosexual women. (13) I await my opponent's rebuttal. (1) Gary Remafedi, MD, MPH, Simone French, PhD, Mary Story, PhD, Michael D. Resnick, PhD, and Robert Blum, MD, PhD. The Relationship between Suicide Risk and Sexual Orientation: Results of a Population-Based Study. 1998. (2) Whitehead, Neil. Homosexualities and Co-Morbidities: Therapeutic Research and Implications. Journal of Human Sexuality 2:124-175, 2010. (3) . http://www.wf-f.org...(4) . http://www.cdc.gov...(5) Tanzola, Melinda. HIV, Syphilis Risk Quantified in Gay, Bisexual Men. Clinical Psychiatry News (Volume 38, Issue 9). (6) Journal of Human Sexuality 1, 2009. (7) Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 32, No. 3, June 2003, pp. 231–242. (8) Journal of Human Sexuality 1:48, 2009. (9) International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 26 No. 3. 1997. (10) American Journal of Public Health. January 2009, 99(1):133-7. (11) Bancroft, John. Human Sexuality and its Problems. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone, 2009. (p. 328)(12) Ostrow, MD, PhD, et al. Risk of Psychiatric Disorders Among Individuals Reporting Same-Sex Sexual Partners in the National Comorbidity Survey. American Journal of Public Health, June 2001, Vol. 91, No. 6. (13) Michael King, MD, et al. Mental health and quality of life of gay men and lesbians in England and Wales. The British Journal of Psychiatry (2003) 183: 552-558