Yucatan’s asexual people against conversion therapies

Mérida, Yucatán .-Five asexual people from Yucatán filed an injunction against the federal Ministry of Health and other authorities of the National Health System for classifying asexuality as a psychiatric disease.

According to a press release from the Colectivo Por la Protección de Todas las Familias en Yucatán, the plaintiffs demand that internal protocols and practices be modified, as well as that health personnel be trained, especially those in psychiatric services.

The aforementioned group indicated that it accompanied the plaintiffs during their legal process. The lawsuit was admitted last Friday, July 16th by the Third District Court in Yucatan.

What is asexuality?

The bulletin details that “asexuality is an orientation characterized by not feeling sexual attraction to any person or a lack of interest in sexual relations. It is estimated that at least 1% of the population is asexual”. This would be the first time an injunction is filed in favor of asexual people in Mexico. In the National Health System, asexuality is considered a psychiatric problem.

“According to the staff of the Ministry of Health, if a person claims not to be sexually attracted to anyone, studies are first carried out to identify whether it has a physiological origin. If this is ruled out, they are referred to psychiatric personnel for therapy.

“This practice is a de facto conversion therapy, due to the fact that it seeks to cure people with asexual orientation. The health authorities do not contemplate in their protocols the possibility of distinguishing between asexuality and physiological alterations.

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