In Verona, Italy, a woman received advice from her general practitioner to cure her of homosexuality through books. The woman, who remains anonymous, sent a letter to MaiMa.Online, explaining what the doctor told her during the consultation and what books the doctor “prescribed”.

The prescription given by the GP is certainly not what anyone would expect from a professional doctor. The GP told the woman that she was pleased she had disclosed her sexual orientation but said she already suspected it “because of her short haircut”.

The GP’s treatment plan included an autobiography by an “ex-gay” Italian celebrity.

The book tells the story of Luca Di Tolve, a gay man who allegedly rejected homosexuality and became straight, and then founded an association that “takes care of those who have homosexual attitudes”.

The anonymous woman says that she changed her GP a few months ago, but recently she received an email from her old doctor, in which she told her to follow the advice and read the book. The doctor also said that she had often thought of her, insisting that Luca di Tolve’s association would find “a cure” for her.

This woman didn’t follow the GP’s advice, but she claims that there is at least one other homosexual patient that she knows of who might have followed the doctor’s suggestion.

In July 2018 the US Government issued its National LGBT+ Survey which explored a wide range of issues. Some people were shocked that as many as 5% of respondents had been offered a form of so-called conversion therapy and a further 2% of respondents had tried it. Conversion therapy attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation through psychological or spiritual interventions.

Conversion therapy survivors found that 68.7% of respondents with mental health issues have had suicidal thoughts, while 32.4% have attempted suicide.