Although clearly present in the country, the so-called “conversion therapy” continues without legislation against its practice.
So-called “conversion therapies” are ongoing efforts to alter someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
In 2019, Portugal watched for the first time images of "therapies for reconversion or sexual reorientation".
A report by Ana Leal, shown on the channel TVI, reported consultations with so-called "psychologists, psychiatrists and priests of the Catholic Church" and "who believe that it is possible to change people's sexual orientation".
One of the health professionals identified in the report is the psychologist Maria José Vilaça, in which she compares homosexuality with a "psychotic break".
In the report, it is also mentioned that an Catholic priest travels from Porto to Lisbon to do the practice, and Maria José Vilaça advises one person to go to the United States to participate in a weekend dedicated to the “conversion therapy”.
In 2014, according to the ILGA Portugal Association's “Saúde em Igualdade” project, in 11% of the mental health services used by the LGBT people studied, it was suggested that homosexuality can be “cured”.
Finally, in 2015, dezanove.pt reported that there were mental health professionals in Portugal who advocated “sexual orientation correction therapies”.
