The Indian Medical Association’s Keralam State branch issued a statement strongly opposing conversion therapy, declaring that sexual orientation and gender diversity are not diseases.
The IMA noted that a 2023 study in Kerala found that 45.4% of surveyed LGBTQIA+ participants were forced to endure conversion practices, leading to severe psychological distress.
The association urged healthcare professionals to respect patient autonomy, avoid facilitating orientation-change efforts, and provide appropriate mental health support without conditional identity changes.