The Governor of Kentucky has signed an executive order, banning the use of "conversion therapy” on minors in Kentucky, to "protect children from a widely discredited practice that tries to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity through counseling".

The controversial Conversion therapy is also prohibited in 23 other states.

According to Andy Beshear, who used his executive powers after efforts to enact a state law banning the practice repeatedly failed in the state's Republican-dominated legislature. "My faith teaches me that all children are children of God," Beshear said during the signing ceremony at the Kentucky Statehouse. "And where practices are endangering and even harming those children, we must act. The practice of so-called 'conversion therapy' hurts our children."

For years, LGBTQ advocates have denounced the disputed treatment, citing research that shows conversion therapy increases risks of mental health issues.

Also known as reparative therapy or gay cure therapy – the procedure tries to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity. In practice, it means trying to stop or suppress someone from being gay, or from identifying as a different gender to their sex recorded at birth. It includes talking therapies and prayer, but more extreme forms can include exorcism, physical violence, and food deprivation.

Mental health professionals across the world have warned against all types of conversion therapy – calling them unethical and purely harmful.

According to a survey of more than 28,000 queer Americans aged 13-24 years by an advocacy group The Trevor Project, as many as 15 per cent of LGBTQ youths have been subjected to or threatened with conversion therapy.

The same survey by the group that aims to prevent suicide among LGBTQ youths, which the governor's office cited in its statement, also found that 54 per cent of the LGBTQ youths who attempted suicide in the year prior were threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy. Statistics also say over 1,300 active conversion therapists are still operating in all US states except Vermont and Hawaii.

According to WebMD, conversion therapy techniques lead to feeling “less than” or “damaged,” impacting a child's self-esteem. Doctors say it takes a significant toll on your emotional and physical health. A study found that LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning) people who are rejected or discriminated against are:

• 8 times more likely to report having attempted suicide
• Almost 6 times more likely to report high levels of depression
• More than 3 times as likely to use illegal drugs
• 3 times more likely to be at high risk of HIV and other STDs

How is conversion therapy done?

Conversion therapy ranges from a host of medical to faith-based methods, which include:

Also known as talk therapy, it is the most widely used method, however, providers also try behavioral, interpersonal, or cognitive therapies. Some teach stereotypical masculine and feminine behaviors or use hypnosis to try to change thought patterns for same-sex attraction.

It includes medicine, hormone, or steroid therapies, and in extreme cases, gender-affirming surgeries are done to neutralize sexual orientation.

Homosexuality is sometimes viewed as evil in a few religious practices. And so, conversion therapy is sometimes performed by clergy or other spiritual advisers using anti-gay slurs and prayers. In some cases, it also includes beating, shackling, food deprivation, and even exorcism.

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