The global legal landscape for banning conversion therapy is shifting

Health · Published 19 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Conversion therapy—the pseudoscientific attempt to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity—is facing a wave of international prohibition. While many countries have already enacted bans, the legal mechanisms vary significantly, ranging from total prohibitions on any person to specific restrictions targeting medical professionals.

As of October 2026, twenty-eight countries have established some form of ban on conversion therapy. These regulations fall into three primary categories. Fourteen nations—including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, and New Zealand—prohibit the practice by any person regardless of their professional status. Eight other countries, such as Albania, Brazil, India, and Vietnam, specifically target medical professionals or those receiving monetary compensation for providing the therapy.

A third category includes seven countries, including Argentina, Switzerland, and Uruguay, which ban diagnoses based solely on sexual orientation or gender identity. Because health professionals generally do not provide therapy without a formal diagnosis, these laws effectively function as bans on clinical conversion therapy. Additionally, specific jurisdictions within Australia and the United States have implemented their own prohibitions.

The movement toward prohibition is gaining momentum at supranational levels. The European Union is currently considering a ban across all member states, supported by a citizens' initiative launched in May 2024. Additionally, a mandate was passed by the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly on 29 January 2026, requesting that all member nations prohibit such actions completely.

The legal pushback is often rooted in documented harm. In 1997, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that forced conversion treatments—including sedative drugs and hypnosis—constituted mental and physical torture. The court clarified that human rights laws cannot be bypassed by labeling such actions as 'curing' or 'treating.' Other legal consequences include consumer fraud convictions, such as the 2015 New Jersey jury ruling against an organization for making unconscionable promises to change sexual urges.

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