Comunicado de prensa. Porto, Portugal, a 11 de Mayo de 2010

La Asociaci贸n Mundial para la Salud Sexual (WAS) trabaja en la promoci贸n y defensa de los Derechos Sexuales como un componente esencial de los Derechos Humanos Universales. Estos incluyen el derecho de vivir sin violencia ni coerci贸n sexuales independientemente de la edad, el g茅nero, el grupo 茅tnico, la orientaci贸n sexual y otras caracter铆sticas personales.

Los casos de abuso sexual constituyen un flagelo que afecta a la ni帽ez y la juventud de todos los grupos 茅tnicos y聽 estratos sociales. La gran mayor铆a de los menores en cuesti贸n son v铆ctimas de miembros de sus propias familias o de personas en posiciones de poder y confianza, tales como los educadores y el clero.

En reconocimiento del importante papel que la Iglesia Cat贸lica ha jugado a trav茅s de su historia, la WAS expresa su posici贸n respecto al debate actual.

Los abusos sexuales que se han hecho p煤blicos dentro de la instituci贸n de la Iglesia Cat贸lica y la actitud de su jerarqu铆a consistente en la protecci贸n y ocultamiento de los agresores es condenable y constituye una violaci贸n de los derechos sexuales de la ni帽ez y la juventud. Los efectos da帽inos del abuso sexual pueden durar toda la vida.

Muchas afirmaciones expresadas en nombre de la Iglesia Cat贸lica est谩n basadas en premisas err贸neas. Por ejemplo, la vinculaci贸n entre pedofilia y homosexualidad-

La WAS recomienda el uso de la evidencia cient铆fica para la fundamentaci贸n de toda afirmaci贸n o pol铆tica p煤blica relativa a la sexualidad.

Aunque la reciente declaraci贸n de la Iglesia que reconoce la importancia de la denuncia de los abusadores es un paso adelante, la WAS recomienda que la Iglesia otorgue la plena reparaci贸n del da帽o incluyendo los procedimientos para la protecci贸n a las personas en riesgo y aplicar tratamiento fundamentado en la ciencia a los agresores.

Asimismo, WAS exhorta a los gobiernos, las instituciones y profesionales a comprometerse a romper el silencio que oculta un delito que afecta a millones de personas.

La competencia profesional de los representantes y miembros de la Asociaci贸n Mundial para la Salud Sexual est谩 a disposici贸n para proporcionar asesor铆a, apoyo y servicios para contribuir a la creaci贸n de un cambio social positivo.

CONTACT: Rosemary Coates, Ph D. President WAS. +61401103008. R.coates@curtin.edu.au

Pedro Nobre, PhD. President of Portuguese Society of Clinical Sexology, pnobre5@gmail.com

Disculpa, pero esta entrada est谩 disponible s贸lo en English.

Press Release:

Action Day October 17^th 2009 鈥� STP 2012 Campaign

On Saturday, October 17^th 2009, demonstrations and other actions was taken place in 38 cities in Europe, Latin America, North America and Asia, to support the campaign Stop Trans Pathologization STP 2012, which was initiated by the International Trans Depathologization Network. To date, 181 groups from 40 countries in different world regions and 7 international networks declared their support of the campaign.

The principal demand of the campaign is the removal of Gender Identity Disorders from the international diagnostic catalogues (DSM-IV y ICD-10). We consider that the classification of transsexuality as mental disorder fosters the risk of transphobia and social exclusion of trans persons all over the world. The necessity of compulsory diagnosis, hormonal and surgical modifications which is present in many of the existent laws, attacks the human rights regarding body integrity and free expression of gender identities, rights which are named in recent international declarations like the Yogyakarta Principles (2007) or the recommendations of the Commissioner of Human Rights of the Council of Europe Thomas Hammarberg (2009). In this sense, we consider the depathologization of transsexuality as a first indispensable step for a full recognition of trans persons鈥� human rights.

At the same time, the International Trans Depathologization Network is aware of the importance of guaranteeing trans persons health rights. Therefore, within its objectives the demand of free access to hormonal and surgical interventions without the necessity of psychiatric authorization for those persons, who wish to use them as well as its coverage by Public Health Systems is included. To guarantee these health rights, the International Trans Depathologization Network supports a non-pathologizing mention in the ICD as long as this mention does not signify a reclassification of transsexuality as a mental, organic or neurological disease. The justification of trans persons鈥� health rights should not be based on a pathologizing definition of trans identities, but take into account the characteristics of a highly binary society in which the experience of transphobia and social pressure can lead to the need of corporal modification. We question the current binary gender order in the actual society, in which a man with scars continues to be more accepted than a man with breasts.

In this sense, we demand medical treatment as a free option for trans people, without the need of compulsory psychiatric diagnosis, hormonal or surgical interventions in order to realize a change in the name or sex register.

Like the years before, this year on Octubre 17^th 2009 we demonstrated for the depathologization of transsexuality, making a call to all governments, international bodies and the general society to support the demand of the removal of the Gender Identity Disorders of the DSM-IV or ICD-10.

We also would like to thank all the groups, networks and individual persons which are supporting the STP 2012 campaign.

Stop Trans Pathologization!

International Trans Depathologization Network www.stp2012.wordpress.com.