Electric shock therapy being used to 'cure' homosexual men in China

Activist John Shen is filmed making enquiries at Chinese hospitals about treatment for homosexuality. An undercover 'patient' is subjected to gay electric shock therapy inside a Chinese hospital. Leading psychotherapist Johnny Li said 'the damage can be long-term'
These are images of young Chinese men with electrodes placed near their genitals and on their head before being subjected to huge doses of electric voltage to try and rid them of their homosexuality.

It's been revealed that men are still regularly subjected to gay electric shock therapy in China, 15 years after it was no longer classified a 'mental illness'.

Hospitals across the country continue to offer the brutal treatment, saying they can 'cure homosexuality'. Their methods are exposed by the Dateline program. The program charts the process of finding a hospital which offers the treatment right through to the therapy

Viewers are taken inside medical facilities like the Tianjin Mental Health Hospital where undercover activist, John Shen, is told he can be prescribed drugs and shock therapy.

John Chen

'It’s a small electric rod, when you have these urges, you shock yourself with the rod, then you know you should avoid these urges,' a psychiatrist tells Mr Shen.

In one particularly confronting image it appears a nurse even places electrodes near the man's genitalia as he calls out that 'I'm nervous'.

China outlawed the classification more than 15 years ago but that hasn't stopped the shocking practice taking place in medical facilities.

The SBS program also reveals how he is told his current 'condition reflex' makes him feel love for the same sex.

'Now what I want to make you to feel is scared,' the clinician tells him as she sends the charge through his body.'

Another 'patient' went ahead with the treatment at the Huashan Hospital to secretly recorded the process.

John Chen and reporter Shaunagh Connaire

'When these urges arise, you can take a cold shower or go jogging to release the excess hormones,” a psychiatrist suggested to him before offering the electric shock treatment.

He is told it costs $800 each time and that several appointments will be required for him to be 'cured'..

Electrodes are attached to the man's head, which goes numb as the voltage is turned up.

'He’s told it will rebalance his nervous system.'

Despite the law change, police closely monitor any public dissent and reporter Shaunagh Connaire is told opponents are threatened with jail.

'I think aversion therapy can hurt anyone, especially gay people,” psychotherapist Johnny Li said.

'Aversion therapy reinforces their lack of self-identity and their feelings of rejection, the damage can be long-term or even last a lifetime.'

Activist John Chen breaks down as the Dateline crew leaves the hospital, revealing that he can be jailed if he makes complains about the gay shock treatment to authorities.