Masturbation

100 Primary Sources

Date
Summary
Sep 11, 1879

The topic of masturbation ("Onanism") is discussed during the September 11, 1871 Grantsville, Utah, School of the Prophets.

1948

Original Kinsey Scale of sexual attraction published in 1948.

1952

American Psychiatric Association 1952 DSM-I entry on sexual deviance classifies homosexuality as a pathology.

Apr 6, 1957

Desmond Curran publishes research indicating that 1 in 6 patients changed sexual orientation, but that psychotherapy, by itself, is ineffective.

Jul 1958

The British Journal of Delinquency published results of treatment of homosexuals with 65% (31 of 48) shifting towards heterosexuality from those that completed treatment.

1960

Kurt Freund reviews 47 patients treated with various forms of psychotherapy for homosexuality and report 25% gained "heterosexual adaptation lasting several years."

1962

Wolfenden Report on commissioned by British Home Office recommending further research on homosexuality.

Jun 3, 1967

M. J. MacCulloch and M. P. Feldman reports a 58% success rate utilizing electroshock therapy on 43 subjects in a 3 year study.

1968

American Psychiatric Association 1968 DSM-II entry on homosexuality.

1969

Spencer W. Kimball discusses homosexuality and masturbation in The Miracle of Forgiveness.

Jun 1969

Nathaniel McConaghy compares apomorphine and electroshock gay aversion therapies in 40 subjects with mixed results.

1971

Donn Teal describes the "invasion" by gay activists to the APA conference in San Francisco in 1970.

Aug 23, 1971

Newsweek reports on the "Gay Liberation Movement" and notes the "flash point" was the Stonewall Inn riot of 1969.

Jun 1973

Stephen Morin recounts the formation of the Association of Gay Psychologists.

Dec 1973

American Psychiatric Association proposal for removal of homosexuality as a disorder in the DSM-II.

Apr 9, 1974

New York Times reports on the APA vote to uphold the 1974 DSM-II change on homosexuality.

May 26, 1974

New York Times reports on referendum to overturn the APA vote on removing homosexuality from the DSM-II.

1980

American Psychiatric Association 1980 DSM-III entry on ego-dystonic homosexuality.

1981

Church manual for bishops says masturbation is unacceptable to God.

1981

LDS publication for bishops states that masturbation is almost universal for homosexuals and is a difficult habit to overcome.

Oct 3, 1981

Ezra Taft Benson says the law of chastity "is the same for men and women."

Jun 1986

Ezra Taft Benson teaches chastity for both men and women.

Aug 1986

Biola University dissertation on sexual orientation change efforts for ego-dystonic homosexuality.

1991

Kurt Freund writes about the early development of the plethysmograph.

1991

Joseph Nicolosi popularizes the term "reparative therapy" as a new approach to mitigate unwanted homosexuality.

1992

Guide from the Church for Bishops that says masturbation almost always accompanies homosexual transgressions.

Nov 1, 1994

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association publishes survey of 285 therapists reporting on 1,215 homosexual patients and report a 23% change to heterosexuality.

1998

American Psychological Association adopts resolution about "Appropriate Therapeutic Responses Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation."

1999

NARTH founded by Socarides, Kaufman and Nicolosi in 1992.

1999

Benjamin Kaufman describes the founding of NARTH.

Dec 21, 1999

NARTH states their goal "to make effective psychological therapy available to all homosexual men and women who seek change."

2000

American Medical Association resolution 506 Policy Statement opposes Sexual Orientation Reparative (Conversion) Therapy.

Mar 2000

American Psychiatric Association official revision of the 1998 statement on "reparative or conversion therapies," stating that "ethical practitioners refrain from attempts to change individuals' sexual orientation."

May 2000

American Psychiatric Association 2000 statement condemning "reparitive" therapy, stating it is questionable science and rejecting past research.

May 2000

American Psychiatric Association 1998 statement condemning "reparitive" therapy if it is based on premise that homosexuality is a mental illness.

Jun 2000

University of Utah study indicates that 65% of homosexuals surveyed experienced a shift towards heterosexuality after participating in change efforts.

Jun 2000

American Psychiatric Association states that efforts to change sexual orientation are "harmful and potentially deadly."

Jul 6, 2001

Steven Mirin of the American Psychiatric Association responds to the Spitzer study and affirms that "there is no published scientific evidence supporting for the efficacy of reparitive therapy."

Aug 2001

University of Utah dissertation on 42 gay Latter-day Saints that have unsuccessfully participated in reorientation therapy.

Mar 2002

Ariel Shidlo reports that only 4% of 202 subjects were successful in shifting exclusive homosexuality to heterosexuality.

Nov 2002

Planned Parenthood article states that the American Medical Association pronounced masturbation as normal in 1972.

Oct 2003

Archives of Sexual Behavior publish responses from peers of Robert L. Spitzer to his 2003 study on subjects that report a change in their sexual orientation.

Oct 2003

Robert L. Spitzer publishes a response to criticisms of his 2003 report on people that reported that their sexual orientation had changed.

Oct 2003

Robert L. Spitzer interviews 200 individuals who reported a change in sexual orientation and states that there is evidence that some forms of reparative therapy are effective.

2004

Laura Brotherson discusses masturbation in a therapeutic and marital context.

2005

Behavioral Technology Inc. brochure for the Monarch 21 plethysmograph system.

Apr 2005

Dallin H. Oaks condemns pornography use; warns that it is spiritually damaging.

Apr 2005

Robert L. Spitzer states that the subjects of his 2001 study were candid and consistent and were "talking about something real".

2007

Church pamphlet on chastity says it "applies to both men and women."

2009

Biblical scholar Craig S. Keener summarizes Jesus's teachings on lust.

2009

Douglas Kimmel recounts the formation of the Association of Gay Psychologists in 1973.

2009

American Psychological Association 2009 statement on sexual orientation change efforts.

2010

2010 policies on dealing with child abuse for bishops.

2011

FSY teaches against pornography and masturbation.

2012

Archives of Sexual Behavior review of literature on masturbation and sexual health.

Jan 25, 2012

The Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity (ATCSI) publishes their statement on sexual orientation change, which advocates for protection of patients rights to choose therapy.

Feb 2012

Researchers at Cornell University analyze a 6 year cohort of 12,287 young adults and find significant shifts in self identification of their sexual orientation.

May 2012

Robert L. Spitzer states that his 2001 study on sexual orientation change is invalid because he does not know if the subject were deceiving themselves or lying to him.

May 18, 2012

New York Times reports that Robert L. Spitzer renounces his 2001 study on the efficacy of gay reparitive therapy.

Feb 11, 2014

Trudy Ring writes for the Advocate.com about changes in science indicating that sexual orientation changes ("sexual fluidity").

Apr 2014

APA article notes that the DSM-5 considered including pornography addiction, but decided there was not enough evidence.

2016

Journal of Behavioral Addictions article on compulsive pornography use among university students.

2016

Sexual Medicine Reviews article on prostate cancer and masturbation research indicates that the data is inconclusive.

Nov 4, 2016

University of Utah researcher Lisa M. Diamond states that 25-75% of sexual minorities report experiencing a change in sexual orientation at some point in their lives.

Nov 16, 2016

American Institute of Bisexuality publishes article in bi.org stating that "born this way" is losing popularity amongst "queer folks" and that "sexuality is fluid."

Aug 2017

Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations publishes article that discusses relationship between ejaculation and prostate cancer.

Oct 17, 2017

First Presidency letter stating that pornography use should be a standard question when interviewing prospective missionaries.

Nov 27, 2017

Scientific American refers to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest when discussing Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT).

2018

Journal of Sex Research article on pornography addiction and religiosity.

2018

The Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity (ATCSI) states their mission includes "preserving the right of individuals" to have choice in therapy related to sexual orientation change efforts.

Mar 26, 2018

Tad Walch in Deseret News reports on Church explicitly allowing others to sit in on Bishop interviews.

Sep 2018

The Journal of Sexual Medicine meta-analysis of research indicates that moderately frequent ejaculation is correlated with decreased risk of prostate cancer.

Nov 2018

American Psychiatric Association official position statement "encourages legislation which would prohibit" on "Conversion Therapy."

2019

Official missionary handbook, discusses masturbation.

Feb 14, 2019

Paper investigates non-biological aspects of sexual orientation development.

Mar 2019

Family Research Council publishes report that argues that the science of sexual fluidity is evidence that sexual orientation may change through therapy.

Oct 6, 2019

Record of temple recommend interview questions.

Oct 17, 2019

KUTV report of a bishop convicted of child pornography charges.

2020

General Handbook states Church does not hold disciplinary councils for masturbation. Also discusses role of Bishops.

2020

Church official instructions for issuing temple recommends - notes interviewee may bring a parent or other adult.

2020

General Handbook of the Church section on abuse.

Feb 23, 2020

John R. Blosnich publishes research which correlates sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) with suicidality based on the Generations survey.

Jun 5, 2020

2KUTV reports on a bishop that was excommunicated for abusing children.

Aug 2020

LMPW and MMJ advise in Church publication on masturbation.

2021

Gospel Topics essay defines chastity as "not having any sexual relations before marriage."

2021

About the r/NoFap porn addiction support group.

2021

The International Federation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice (IFTCC) states their mission is to promote rights and freedoms of self determination for therapy.

Feb 2021

American Psychological Association compares the ethics of sexual orientation change efforts to assisting an anorexic with weight loss.

Feb 2021

American Psychological Association recognizes sexual orientation change does occur, but thinks it does not justify conversion therapy as a practice.

Feb 2021

American Psychological Association condemns and discredits SOCE (sexual orientation change efforts.)

Apr 14, 2021

Letter of professionals that were signed in support of Natasha Helfer.

Oct 2021

American Medical Association first opposed reparative therapy in 2000.

2022

2022 edition of the For the Strength of Youth website discusses sex and sexual behavior.

2022

American Medical Association issues a report stating that gay "conversion therapy" is not based on science or medical evidence.

2022

The International Federation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice (IFTCC) publishes "An International Declaration on "Conversion Therapy" and Therapeutic Choice."

2022

General Handbook of the Church section on Reports of Abuse and references to reporting to civil authorities, instructions for members, bishops and definitions of abuse.

2022

Church Newsroom overview guide on how the Church approaches abuse, including membership record annotation.

Mar 31, 2022

Harvard University Medical School researcher Sabra L. Katz-Wise writes about sexual fluidity and states the sexual orientation can change.

Aug 2022

D. Paul Sullins publishes research which refutes the claim from Blosnich(2020) that sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) correlate with suicidality.

Aug 6, 2022

Kate Taylor Lauck, a sexual abuse survivor and attorney that worked for the Church abuse hotline shares her story.