Peru returns to the Middle Ages. A presidential order defines transsexuality as a “mental disorder”.

Last Friday, a week before the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, which is observed every year on May 17. The Peruvian Ministry of Health published a decree that recognizes transsexuality as a “mental disorder”., LGBT+ activists and human rights groups condemned the decision.

The decree, which is signed by President Dina Boluatre, includes an update Essential Health Insurance Scheme (PEAS)Which includes a comprehensive list of conditions, interventions and care that public and private health centers in Peru must provide to insured people.

In that document, the Ministry of Health New diagnoses added to the category of mental and behavioral disordersIt is based on the tenth edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), which expires in 2022 when an updated version, ICD-11, comes into force.

Mentioned in the new decree published by the Boluer government “Transsexualism, dual-role transvestism, childhood gender identity disorder, other gender identity disorder, fetishistic transvestism and egodystonic sexual orientation” like some “mental health problems” Which are covered under the health scheme.

This goes against the condition of the remedy WHO, which excluded transsexuality from its disease manual two years ago (In fact, arguably longer, as ICD-11 was submitted for adoption by member states in 2019).

wave of criticism

The decision was rejected by various activists and human rights groups, including the group Mas Igualdad Peru, which began collecting signatures to send a letter to Health Minister César Vásquez demanding the repeal of the decree. .

Scientist Percy Myta Tristan, director of the research area at the Scientific University of the South, also expressed his caution about the decree. “The trans population does not have access to healthcare, because they have problems with national identity documents (DNI); In theory, this is a ‘well-intentioned’ way of providing access. The problem is that they use ICD-10, which is telling you that you are sick; So, the LGTBI community, the trans population, protests and says: ‘How do you want me to contact healthcare if they’re already telling me I’m sick because I’m trans?’

“, he pointed out Peru 21,

A similar proposal was made by Jorge Apollaya, spokesperson for the Lima Pride March Collective, who urged the Health Ministry to modify the decree because it is based on a set of rules that are no longer in use. “The criterion itself is outdated and leaves the door open to conversion treatments as well as the use of hormones for the correction of homosexuality, treatments that are considered torture by international law.he told the newspaper Business

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Health Ministry’s response

Facing the wave of criticism received, Ministry of Health Issued a contradictory statement: although it stated that gender and sexual diversity are not diseases or disordersAssured that the decree is “necessary to guarantee that care coverage in mental health is complete.”

The ministry also said that “ICD-10 is still in force in the country, until the progressive implementation of CIE-11 begins, as is the case in other countries in the region.”

“The Ministry of Health unequivocally reaffirms respect for the dignity of the individual and their free action within the framework of human rights, providing health services for their benefit,” the statement concluded.