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Found this on google answers:
The Question:
Assuming we have three 18 year old men. One who is sexually attracted
to members of the opposite sex. One who is sexually attracted to
members of the same sex. And one who is sexually attracted to
children.
If all three men have NEVER acted on there desires would they all
three be viewed as "normal" to the majority of scientists who study
human sexuality?
Is it as a biological error or are they all three a common occurrence in
human history and thus natural, or both?
The Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.
The leading scientific opinion on the 'homosexuality' side of your
question comes from the American Psychiatric Association and the
American Psychological Association, since it is Psychiatrists and
Psychologists who are the medical scientists that study sexual
behavior:
"Psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals
agree that homosexuality is not an illness, mental disorder or an
emotional problem. Over 35 years of objective, well-designed
scientific research has shown that homosexuality, in and itself,is not
associated with mental disorders or emotional or social problems.
Homosexuality was once thought to be a mental illness because mental
health professionals and society had biased information. In the past
the studies of gay, lesbian and bisexual people involved only those in
therapy, thus biasing the resulting conclusions. When researchers
examined data about these people who were not in therapy, the idea
that homosexuality was a mental illness was quickly found to be
untrue.
"In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association confirmed the importance
of the new, better designed research and removed homosexuality from
the official manual that lists mental and emotional disorders. Two
years later, the American Psychological Association passed a
resolution supporting the removal. For more than 25 years, both
associations have urged all mental health professionals to help dispel
the stigma of mental illness that some people still associate with
homosexual orientation."
Is Homosexuality a Mental Illness or Emotional Problem?
http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/answers.html#mentalillness
Pedophilia, on the other hand, is considered by these scientists to
constitute a mental disorder:
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0890420254/103-6353385-0797436?v=glance
"The American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR)
criteria for Pedophilia (302.2) are:
A. Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually
arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual
activity with a prepubescent child or children (generally age 13 years
or younger);
B. The person has acted on these sexual urges, or the sexual urges or
fantasies cause marked distress or interpersonal difficulty;
C. The person is at least age 16 years and at least 5 years older
than the child or children in Criterion A."
"The DSM is the standard classification of mental disorders used by
mental health professionals and provides clear, objective descriptions
of mental illnesses, based upon scientific research. Pedophilia is
categorized in the DSM-IV-TR as one of several paraphilic mental
disorders. The essential features of a Paraphilia are recurrent,
intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors that
generally involve nonhuman subjects, children, or other non-consenting
adults, or the suffering or humiliation of oneself or one’s partner.
"An adult who engages in sexual activity with a child is performing a
criminal and immoral act and this is never considered normal or
socially acceptable behavior.
"Darrel A. Regier, M.D., M.P.H., Director, American Psychiatric
Association’s Division of Research states,
'there are no plans or processes set up that would lead to the removal
of the Paraphilias from their consideration as legitimate mental
disorders.'"
American Psychiatric Association Statement:
Diagnostic Criteria for Pedophilia
http://www.ipce.info/library_3/files/apa_statement_jun03.htm
There is a view, I would call it an extreme and minority position,
that the categorization should possibly change:
"Some mental health professionals attending an annual APA convention
May 19 in San Francisco proposed removing several long-recognized
categories of mental illness - including pedophilia, exhibitionism,
fetishism, transvestism, voyeurism and sadomasochism - from the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)."
Psychiatric Association Debates Reclassifying Pedophilia
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=%5CCulture%5Carchive%5C200306%5CCUL20030611c.html
Search terms used:
homosexuality disease psychiatric
"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" pedophilia 302.2
Thanks again for bringing us your question
Google Answers Researcher
Richard-ga