F65 vs F66
F66 — Psychological and behavioural disorders associated with sexual development and orientation
Distinguish content concerning patterns of sexual preference and their behavioural expression (F65) from content concerning sexual orientation itself and orientation-related psychological distress (F66) — a further pair within this grouping that are easy to conflate.
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Show overlap — what both share
Both categories concern sexuality-related classification and both sit within the same historically grouped, ICD-11-revised territory.
Show decisive evidence
- F65 concerns patterns of sexual preference and their behavioural expression (e.g. fetishism, exhibitionism), classified at title level only in this tool.
- F66 concerns sexual orientation itself and psychological or behavioural disorders historically associated with orientation, most notably distress that is actually attributable to discrimination, rejection, or internalized stigma rather than to the orientation.
- Checking whether a vignette concerns a pattern of sexual preference (F65) or concerns orientation and orientation-related distress (F66) is the decisive step.
- A sexual orientation itself should never be classified under F65, which concerns patterns of preference and their expression, not orientation.
What weakens F65: Content about a specific pattern of sexual preference and its behavioural expression favours F65; content about sexual orientation and any associated distress favours F66.
Show duration / course
Not duration-based; the decisive factor is which dimension (a pattern of sexual preference vs. sexual orientation) the content actually concerns.
Show exclusions / context
A sexual orientation should never be classified as a disorder of sexual preference under F65.
Show information still needed
Whether the vignette concerns a specific pattern of sexual preference and its behavioural expression, or sexual orientation and orientation-related distress.
Show the common trap
Treating a sexual orientation as though it were a pattern of sexual preference classifiable under F65.
Mini challenge — practise this distinction
Apply the discriminating evidence above to a fresh case before checking the full feedback.