Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Systematic Reviews
Published in: Systematic Reviews 1/2021

Open Access 01-12-2021 | Protocol

The scope and nature of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts: a systematic review protocol

Authors: David J. Kinitz, Travis Salway, Elisabeth Dromer, Dean Giustini, Florence Ashley, Trevor Goodyear, Olivier Ferlatte, Hannah Kia, Alex Abramovich

Published in: Systematic Reviews | Issue 1/2021

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts (SOGIECE) are a set of scientifically discredited practices that aim to deny and suppress the sexual orientations, gender identities, and/or gender expressions of sexual and gender minorities (SGM). SOGIECE are associated with significant adverse health and social outcomes. SOGIECE continue to be practiced around the world, despite denouncements from professional bodies and survivors, as well as calls for legislative advocacy to prohibit SOGIECE and protect SGM. There are substantial gaps in the availability of consolidated international research to support and refine legislative proposals related to SOGIECE, including those currently underway to enforce bans in Canada and elsewhere.
We therefore propose the first systematic review of international data on SOGIECE that will outline the scope and nature of these practices worldwide. Specifically, we aim to estimate how many SGM have been exposed to SOGIECE, which sub-groups of SGM experience higher rates of SOGIECE, and how estimates of SOGIECE vary over time and place. In addition, we aim to describe when, where, how, and under what circumstances SGM are exposed to SOGIECE.

Methods

To locate an interdisciplinary swath of papers, nine (9) bibliographic databases will be searched: Medline (OVID), Embase (OVID), PsycInfo and Social Work Abstracts via EBSCO, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, LGBTQ+ Source, and Proquest Dissertations & Theses Global and Sociology Collection (ProQuest). A gold standard search will be developed for Medline and adapted to the other databases. Grey literature will be searched at relevant websites, and reference harvesting will be performed in relevant SOGIECE scientific consensus statements. Two authors will independently screen abstracts/titles, screen full texts, abstract data, and apply risk of bias assessments. A narrative synthesis will be implemented to summarize findings.

Discussion

This review will address the gap in synthesized data regarding the prevalence of SOGIECE, social correlates of SOGIECE, variations of SOGIECE over time and place, and the circumstances, settings, and time-points of SOGIECE exposure. Findings from this review will directly inform ongoing and new legislative efforts to ban SOGIECE and other interventions that aim to stem SOGIECE practices and support SOGIECE survivors.

Systematic review registration

Registration with PROSPERO can be found under the registration number: CRD42020196393.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Footnotes
1
Sexual and gender minorities refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQ2) people.
 
Literature
1.
2.
Salway T, Ferlatte O, Gesink D, Lachowsky NJ. Prevalence of exposure to sexual orientation change efforts and associated sociodemographic characteristics and psychosocial health outcomes among Canadian sexual minority men. Can J Psychiatry. 2020. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1177/​0706743720902629​.
3.
Flentje A, Heck NC, Cochran BN. Experiences of ex-ex-gay individuals in sexual reorientation therapy: reasons for seeking treatment, perceived helpfulness and harmfulness of treatment, and post-treatment identification. J Homosex. 2014;61(9):1242–68.PubMedCrossRef
4.
Mallory C, Brown TN, Conron KJ. Conversion therapy and LGBT youth. Los Angeles: Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law; 2018.
5.
Meanley SP, Stall RD, Dakwar O, Egan JE, Friedman MR, Haberlen SA, et al. Characterizing experiences of conversion therapy among middle-aged and older men who have sex with men from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS). Sex Res Soc Policy. 2019;17:1–9.
6.
Turban JL, Beckwith N, Reisner SL, Keuroghlian AS. Association between recalled exposure to gender identity conversion efforts and psychological distress and suicide attempts among transgender adults. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019;77(1):68–76.PubMedCentralCrossRef
7.
Turban JL, King D, Reisner SL, Keuroghlian AS. Psychological attempts to change a person’s gender identity from transgender to cisgender: estimated prevalence across US States, 2015. Am J Public Health. 2019;109(10):1452–4.PubMedCrossRefPubMedCentral
8.
Wylie K, Knudson G, Khan SI, Bonierbale M, Watanyusakul S, Baral S. Serving transgender people: clinical care considerations and service delivery models in transgender health. Lancet. 2016;388(10042):401–11.PubMedCrossRef
9.
10.
Scheim AI, Zong X, Giblon R, Bauer GR. Disparities in access to family physicians among transgender people in Ontario, Canada. Int J Transgenderism. 2017;18(3):343–52.CrossRef
11.
Ashley F. Model law–prohibiting reparative practices. Available at SSRN 3398402 2019.CrossRef
12.
13.
14.
Pan American Health Organization, Regional Office of World Health Organization. “Cures” for an illness that does not exist: purported therapies aimed at changing sexual orientation lack medical justification and are ethically unacceptable. 2012.
15.
Williams C. #DiscoSexology Part V: an interview with Zucker’s patient; 2017.
16.
Butterworth B. Malta just became the first country in Europe to ban ‘gay cure’ therapy. London: Pink News; 2016.
17.
Byne W. No title. Regulations restrict practice of conversion therapy 2016.
18.
Canadian Psychological Association. No title. CPA policy statement on conversion/reparative therapy for sexual orientation 2015.
19.
20.
Muse E. Affirming sexual orientation and gender identity act, 2015; 2015.
21.
22.
Salway T. Ending conversion therapy in Canada: survivors, community leaders, researchers, and allies address the current and future states of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts; 2020.
23.
Ryan C, Toomey R, Diaz R, Russell S. Parent-initiated sexual orientation change efforts with LGBT adolescents: implications for young adult mental health and adjustment. J Homosex. 2020;67(2).
24.
Moher D, Shamseer L, Clarke M, Ghersi D, Liberati A, Petticrew M, et al. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Syst Rev. 2015;4(1):1.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
25.
26.
National Centre for Lesbian Rights. Conversion therapy mental health advocate letter. 2014.
27.
American Medical Association. LGBTQ change efforts (so-called “conversion therapy”). Chicago: American Medical Association; 2019. p. 1–5.
28.
American Psychological Association. Resolution on appropriate affirmative responses to sexual orientation distress and change efforts, vol. 29. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Retrieved January 2009; 2011.
29.
Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE-ACFTS), & Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW). Joint statement on the affirmation of gender diverse children and youth. 2015.
30.
Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health. Submission to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy Re: Bill 77, Affirming Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Act, 2015. 2015.
31.
National Association of Social Workers National Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues. Sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) and conversion therapy with lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender persons. 2015.
32.
33.
Telfer MM, Tollit MA, Pace CC, Pang KC. Australian standards of care and treatment guidelines for transgender and gender diverse children and adolescents. Med J Aust. 2018;209(3):132–6.PubMedCrossRef
34.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Ending conversion therapy: supporting and affirming LGBTQ youth. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 15-4928 2015.
35.
McGowan J, Sampson M, Salzwedel DM, Cogo E, Foerster V, Lefebvre C. PRESS peer review of electronic search strategies: 2015 guideline statement. J Clin Epidemiol. 2016;75:40–6.PubMedCrossRef
36.
Hoy D, Brooks P, Woolf A, Blyth F, March L, Bain C, et al. Assessing risk of bias in prevalence studies: modification of an existing tool and evidence of interrater agreement. J Clin Epidemiol. 2012;65(9):934–9.PubMedCrossRef
37.
Lewin S, Glenton C, Munthe-Kaas H, Carlsen B, Colvin CJ, Gülmezoglu M, et al. Using qualitative evidence in decision making for health and social interventions: an approach to assess confidence in findings from qualitative evidence syntheses (GRADE-CERQual). PLoS Med. 2015;12(10):e1001895.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
38.
Aromataris E, Munn Z. Joanna Briggs Institute reviewer’s manual, vol. 299. Adelaide: The Joanna Briggs Institute; 2017.
39.
Wright T, Candy B, King M. Conversion therapies and access to transition-related healthcare in transgender people: a narrative systematic review. BMJ Open. 2018;8:e022425.
40.
Serovich J, Craft S, Toviessi P, Gangamma R, McDowell T, Grafsky E. A systematic review of the research base on sexual reorientation therapies. J Marital Fam Ther. 2008;34(2):227–38.PubMedCrossRef
41.
Ashley F. Trans conversion therapy doesn’t call itself conversion therapy; 2019.
42.
Halpin H. A deceptive practice”: Bill to ban LGBTQ conversion therapies passes second stage of Seanad. TheJournal.ie.
43.
Karp P. Gay conversion therapy ban found to be LGBTIQ Australians’ top priority. London: The Guardian; 2018.
44.
Johnson S. Liberal justice minister ‘committed’ to criminalizing conversion therapy, says Edmonton MP. Toronto: Global News; 2019.
Metadata
Title
The scope and nature of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts: a systematic review protocol
Authors
David J. Kinitz
Travis Salway
Elisabeth Dromer
Dean Giustini
Florence Ashley
Trevor Goodyear
Olivier Ferlatte
Hannah Kia
Alex Abramovich
Publication date
01-12-2021
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Systematic Reviews / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 2046-4053
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-020-01563-8

Other articles of this Issue 1/2021

Systematic Reviews 1/2021 Go to the issue

Research

Sero-prevalence of syphilis and associated factors among pregnant women in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Protocol

Do continuous forms of intra-operative ultrafiltration enhance recovery after adult cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass? A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Research

A mapping of facilitators and barriers to evidence-based management in health systems: a scoping review study

Research

Non-invasive and minimally invasive glucose monitoring devices: a systematic review and meta-analysis on diagnostic accuracy of hypoglycaemia detection

Protocol

An evaluation of service user experience, clinical outcomes and service use associated with urgent care services that utilise telephone-based digital triage: a systematic review protocol

Protocol

Evacuation solutions for individuals with functional limitations in the built environment: a scoping review protocol