Chinese LGBT activists on Friday accused a government-run newspaper of homophobia, after a local psychiatrist wrote about how to "prevent homosexuality."

Titled "How parents should prevent teenagers from becoming homosexual," the article under attack claimed that most homosexual people are not born gay and suggested parents pay attention to children's sexual psychological development. It added that homosexuality "will be a destructive blow for the family."

According to online posts, the article was written by Bu Ru, a psychiatrist at the Wutaishan hospital of Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province and was published Thursday on Yangzhou Evening News, an affiliate to Yangzhou Daily, which is a local government newspaper.

"The article is filled with wrong information on sexual education," Ah Qiang, founder of PFLAG (Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays) China, told the Global Times on Friday, noting that homosexuality cannot be changed or prevented.

Similar opinions, however, are echoed by many websites, especially those offering health guidance.

As some netizens asked about how to come out to their family, some parents also expressed their concerns about their homosexual children for fear that the "different" sexual orientation may affect their future life.

Searching for "homosexual children" can yield a number of results, showing questions raised by worried parents.

In light of this, some psychiatrists like Bu assert that homosexuality must be prevented or cured.

Bu could not be reached as of press time.

"Such so-called authoritative opinions may bring more pressure and fear on families and children who don't know the reality of sexuality," Ah Qiang noted.

On December 30, a freshman jumped to his death at Guangdong-based Jinan University. He was reportedly gay and suffered from depression, Nandu Daily reported.

A local court in Beijing ordered a psychological counseling center to apologize and offer compensation to a gay man who received "conversion therapy" in 2014.