Toronto-New data collected by a British Columbia research team shows that conversion therapy is still common in Canada, with as many as one in ten gay, bisexual, transgender and queer men, as well as bisexual and non-binary Sexual people report that they have practiced it.

The research was published on Wednesday in Scientific Journal PLOS One It also used data collected from the Community Research Center (CBRC) 2019 “Sex Now” survey, which included responses from more than 9,000 participants.

In 10% of respondents said they had experienced conversion therapy, and 72% of them said it started before the age of 20.

According to this study, 67% of people who had received conversion therapy said they did it in a religious or faith setting, while 20% said they had done it with a licensed healthcare provider.

Travis Salway, assistant professor at Simon Fraser University and lead researcher of the study, said: “In order to adjust policies that prevent conversion therapy practices, we need to understand how many people are affected and who they are.” The statement.

“Conversional therapy refers to practices that deny or demean LGBT2Q sexual orientation and gender identity. They are associated with serious psychological harm, so they have been discredited by multiple medical and psychological professional institutions and are banned in many jurisdictions.”

according to Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Conversion therapy is “a general term used to describe a wide range of interventions, all of which have one thing in common, that is, a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity can and should change.”

“The data from this study can be used to make our elected leaders and policy makers accountable for the fairness of Canada’s LGBT2Q population,” Salway added.

As the findings are released, the House of Commons is awaiting a final vote on Bill C-6, which will ban conversion therapy in Canada.

Researchers have found that conversion therapy is more common among non-binary and transgender people, immigrants, ethnic and ethnic minorities, and young people aged 15 to 19.

“The ban on conversion therapy is an important first step in prevention because it conveys a clear message that conversion therapy is harmful to LGBTQ2 people,” said Michael Quagg, director of knowledge exchange and policy development at the China Banking Regulatory Commission, in a statement.

In addition to prohibiting conversion therapy practices in Canada, the CBRC also recommends that the federal government invest in educational strategies and services that recognize the value and identity of LGBTQ2S+ people.

The center also called for institutional reforms in health care and faith-based environments, and supported those who have undergone conversion therapy.

“Based on this survey, we estimate that more than 50,000 Canadians have experienced these practices,” the center said.

“These people deserve affirmative support to heal and recover.”