Germany's Health Minister has submitted a draft law to ban so-called conversion therapy for minors, as a global movement designed to end discredited practices aiming to change a person's gender identity or sexual orientation gathers pace.

Key points: Gay conversion therapy may involve electric shocks and induced vomiting

Gay conversion therapy may involve electric shocks and induced vomiting The practice has been shown to severely impact an individual's mental health

The practice has been shown to severely impact an individual's mental health The law states that the practice's health risks outweighs religious freedom concerns

The bill proposed by Jens Spahn, who is openly gay, would punish those carrying out conversion therapy on under-18s, or coercing, deceiving or threatening anyone older into such treatment, punishable by up to a year in prison.

Advertising or offering conversion therapy would carry a fine of 30,000 euros ($48,492).

"Homosexuality is not a disease. Therefore, even the term therapy is misleading," Minister Spahn said in an emailed statement.

"This supposed therapy makes you sick and not healthy. And a ban is also an important social signal to anyone who struggles with their homosexuality: you are ok the way you are."

A vote on Mr Spahn's draft law is likely to happen sometime next year. ( Reuters: Hannibal Hanschke )

The therapy can involve forcing people to undergo electric shocks and drink substances to induce vomiting when shown homoerotic images.

There are also role-playing exercises where men are forced to do stereotypically 'blokey' things like chatting about football and tinkering with cars, while women are told to wear feminine clothes and apply a full face of makeup.

The draft German law states that the risks conversion therapy pose to people's health, and the right to determine one's sexual orientation, outweighed concerns about religious freedom.

"It is clear that such measures are associated with significant risks of depression, anxiety or loss of sexual feelings," the draft said.

"The suicide risk of participants in so-called conversion therapies increases significantly."

There is no timetable yet for the proposed law to be considered by parliament, but a final vote is likely to be next year, a spokesman for Germany's health ministry said.

What is the state of conversion therapy outside of Germany?

Malta, Ecuador and Brazil are the only countries that have banned gay conversion therapy at a national level. ( Reuters: Charles Platiau )

In Australia, Victoria became the first state to announce a ban on gay conversion therapy for minors and adults in February 2019 — a practice which Premier Daniel Andrews called "bigoted quackery" at the time of the announcement.

The ACT Government has previously said it would ban the practice, while NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has expressed support for Victoria's move but said a national move was needed — a cause he has pledged to take up at this month's Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting.

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At a federal level, the Australian Labor Party promised a national ban in April, while the Morrison Government has pledged to ensure that gay conversion was "not supported or occurring".

In a 2015 position statement, the Australian Psychological Society (APS) condemned conversion therapy's classification of homosexuality as a disorder, and cast doubt on conversion therapy's purported outcomes.

"There is no peer-reviewed empirical psychological research objectively documenting the ability to 'change' an individual's sexual orientation," the statement said.

"Furthermore, there is no peer-reviewed empirical psychological research demonstrating that homosexuality or bisexuality constitutes a disorder."

The APS and the National LGBTI Health Alliance have called on the Commonwealth to draft legislation banning conversion therapy.

Overseas, Malta, Ecuador and Brazil have banned conversion therapy, according to ILGA, a network of LGBT+ rights groups, while Britain, and parts of Canada are also considering bans.

But in the Asia Pacific, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, the Solomon Islands and Tonga still punish consensual same sex acts between adults with jailtime, while in the conservative province of Aceh in Indonesia, homosexuality is punishable by public caning.

In the US, 18 states outlaw conversion therapy for minors, according to advocacy group Born Perfect.

But in September, New York City began repealing its ban to avert a legal challenge by a conservative Christian group.

A survey by US suicide-prevention group The Trevor Project found 42 per cent of LGBT+ youth who underwent conversion therapy had reported a suicide attempt in the past year.

People who need help with mental health issues can call specialist queer counselling service Q Life on 1800 184 527.

ABC/Reuters