ABSTRACT
In his article, Spitzer pointed out that reported change in sexual orientation in men and women following therapy would have benefited from use of penile or vaginal plethysmography. Outcome changes in men’s penile volume responses to films of nude men and women were reported in a series of studies evaluating aversive therapies aimed at changing sexual orientation, administered over one week. The men were investigated prior to as well as at follow-up, at six months to three years. Their self-reports showed changes following treatment similar to, though less strong than, those reported by Spitzer. Of 40 men consecutively treated in the first study (McConaghy, 1970), at follow-up of one to three years, 15 percent reported an increase and 30 percent a possible increase in heterosexual desire. Thirty-two percent reported a reduction, and 15 percent a possible reduction in homosexual desire. Prior to treatment, 38 had homosexual relations with a number of partners, with 18 having been arrested for homosexual behavior on one or more occasions. Following treatment, 27 percent had no homosexual relations, and 32 percent reduced their frequency; 7 percent continued heterosexual relations at the same frequency, and 27 percent initiated them or continued them at an increased frequency. They showed significantly reduced mean penile volume responses to men; however, although they showed significant mean increase in penile responses to the films of women, this change was only present in men who prior to treatment had shown negative responses to those films, not in the men who prior to treatment had shown positive responses to them.
