Russia's Ministry of Health has approved clinical guidelines for disorders of sexual preference. Patients will be treated up to and including placement in psychiatric hospitals, reports infohub.kz.
This was reported by the Russian Telegram channel Mash. According to the outlet, treatment will be prescribed in cases where sexual fantasies and behavior become obsessive, disrupt daily life, or pose a risk to the individual or others.
The clinical guidelines include fetishism, fetishistic transvestism, exhibitionism, voyeurism, pedophilia, and sadomasochism. However, treatment is not intended for all people with such preferences, but for cases where fantasies and behavior become obsessive, cause problems in daily life, or pose a risk to others.
Therapy is planned to be selected in stages, depending on the patient's condition. In the first stage, psychotherapy may be used; if necessary, antidepressants are prescribed, and in more severe cases, drugs that lower testosterone levels. Reducing the level of this hormone helps decrease the intensity of sexual desire and related fantasies.
Before the new guidelines, doctors continued to follow a 1999 document. Among the treatment methods it mentioned were hypnosis and self-suggestion. However, the document had been considered outdated since 2012.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that a provocative 1Fit ad caused a storm of emotions in Kazakh social media. While some criticized the video for its lewd subtext, others called it a brilliant marketing move.