Chemical castration is a procedure wherein medications are administered to suppress or reduce Testosterone levels. Unlike surgical castration, chemical castration is reversible as the gonads are not removed by a surgical incision. By undertaking this, the male loses the function of his testes, thereby resulting in loss of libido and infertility.
What is chemical castration?
What drugs are used in chemical castration for prostate cancer? Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists or GnRH analogs — also called luteinizing-hormone releasing hormone... GnRH antagonists or LHRH antagonists. These medications prevent testosterone production but without causing a... ...
Can chemical castration be reversed?
Jan 12, 2021 · Chemical castration is the use of drugs to lower the production of hormones in your testicles. Doctors use this method to treat hormone-related cancers, such as prostate cancer. Other names for...
Is chemical castration still used to treat prostate cancer?
Jan 29, 2013 · Using hormonal drugs to reduce sexual violence recidivism is known as chemical castration. The first reported attempt of hormonal manipulation to reduce pathological sexual behavior occurred in 1944, when diethylstilbestrol was prescribed to lower testosterone levels ( …
How long does the effect of chemical castration last?
Dec 10, 2019 · Drugs used to bring about chemical castration include: Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA): MPA is a long-acting injectable progesterone (a female hormone) that is used as a... Cyproterone acetate: Cyproterone Acetate is an anti-androgen that is used to bring about chemical castration. Luteinizing ...
Is there a permanent chemical castration?
Chemical castration involves using a drug to reduce testosterone levels and affect the sex drive. American doctors have been using medroxyprogesterone acetate — the protocol expected to be used in Alabama — to treat sex offenders for more than 50 years. The procedure does not cause sterilization and is not permanent.Jun 11, 2019
How long does chemical castration last in men?
They are administered as a depot injection right under the skin or into the muscle. These injections can last for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months.
What chemical is used for castration?
LHRH agonists (also called LHRH analogues or GnRH agonists). They lower the amount of testosterone made by the testicles. Treatment with these drugs is sometimes called chemical castration or medical castration because they lower androgen levels just as well as orchiectomy [109] (Fig. 15.15).
Is chemical castration permanent in dogs?
The pro with chemical castration is that it is reversible. If you think the dog has reacted in an undesirable way you can rest assured that your dog will return to its normal self once the chip's effect has worn off.
What does chemical castration do to a man?
Chemical castration is castration via anaphrodisiac drugs, whether to reduce libido and sexual activity, to treat cancer, or otherwise. Unlike surgical castration, where the gonads are removed through an incision in the body, chemical castration does not remove organs, nor is it a form of sterilization.
What are the benefits of human castration?
Body strength and muscle mass can decrease. Bone structure becomes softer and more slender. Body hair may sometimes decrease and is less coarse. Castration stops the progression of male pattern baldness.
Do dogs calm down after castration?
While male dogs who are neutered do experience an increase in aggressive behaviors right after the procedure, neutering can make them much less aggressive over time. In fact, neutering has bee proven to create a much happier and calmer male dog over time.Jul 20, 2020
Is chemical castration painful for dogs?
Chemical castration for dogs is a temporary castration option which is carried out using a Suprelorin implant. Your vet can implant this under your dog's skin in a process similar to microchipping. It is relatively painless, and unlike surgical castration, does not require anesthesia.
Is chemical castration reversible?
Chemical castration involves the administration of drugs that reduce the recipient's libido and, it is hoped, their sexual activity. Unlike physical castration, the effects of chemical castration on the recipient's sex drive are reversible.Jun 16, 2016
How often should I take LHRH antagonists?
Depending on the drug and the dose, this must be repeated as often as once a month or as seldom as once a year. For advanced prostate cancer, your doctor may recommend LHRH antagonists instead.
What is chemical castration?
Anna Efetova/GettyImages. Chemical castration is the use of drugs to lower the production of hormones in your testicles. Doctors use this method to treat hormone-related cancers, such as prostate cancer. Other names for chemical castration are:
How long does chemical castration last?
Chemical castration lasts as long as you continue to take the drugs. Once you stop taking them, hormone production returns to normal. The effects are generally reversible. But if you’ve been taking the medications for a long time, some side effects may continue.
What are the side effects of chemical castration?
Side effects of chemical castration can include: reduced or absent sexual desire. erectile dysfunction (ED) shrinkage of testicles and penis. fatigue. hot flashes. breast tenderness and growth of breast tissue ( gynecomastia) Over the long term, chemical castration may also lead to: osteoporosis.
What happens when LH levels are high?
When LH levels are higher, your pituitary gland stops making it. It no longer tells your testicles to make androgens. As a result, circulating testosterone is reduced to very low levels, similar to surgical castration.
Where do androgens come from?
of androgens are made in your testicles. The rest come from your adrenal glands. Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) comes from your pituitary gland. This hormone tells your testicles to make testosterone.
What are the side effects of a syringe?
depression. infertility. anemia. loss of muscle mass. weight gain. According to a 2013 research review. Trusted Source. , side effects and complications may increase the longer you’re in treatment. Your doctor may recommend other therapies to prevent or ease these side effects.
What is leuprolide acetate used for?
Leuprolide acetate is an LHRH agonist that is most commonly used in chemical castration today. This drug has been observed as having higher rates of success in reducing abnormal sexual urges and fantasies, but is often reserved for those offenders who are at a high risk of reoffending due to the drug's intense effects.
Why was chemical castration used?
Chemical castration was often seen as an easier alternative to life imprisonment or the death penalty because it allowed the release of the convicted. In 1981, in an experiment by P. Gagne, 48 males with long-standing histories of sexually deviant behaviour were given medroxyprogesterone acetate for as long as 12 months.
What is the drug used for castration?
The drug cyproterone acetate has been commonly used for chemical castration throughout Europe. It resembles the drug MPA used in America. A law allowing voluntary chemical castration was created in the UK in 2007 by then home secretary John Reid.
What happened to the child sex offender who was subject to chemical castration?
In 2010, a repeat child sex offender who had been subject to chemical castration was accused of inappropriately touching and kissing a young girl. He was found not guilty by a jury, which was not informed of the context of his previous offenses.
How long is the Korean man in jail?
On January 3, 2013, a South Korean court sentenced a 31-year-old man to 15 years in jail and chemical castration, the country's first-ever chemical castration sentence. In 2017, the sentencing was extended to include all forms of rapes and sexual assault cases against women, including attempted rape.
When was castration first used?
The first use of chemical castration occurred in 1944, when diethylstilbestrol was used with the purpose of lowering men's testosterone. The antipsychotic agent benperidol was sometimes used to diminish sexual urges in people who displayed as then thought inappropriate sexual behavior, and were likewise given by depot injection. But benperidol does not affect testosterone and is therefore not a castration agent. Chemical castration was often seen as an easier alternative to life imprisonment or the death penalty because it allowed the release of the convicted.
Is castration reversible?
Chemical castration is generally considered reversible when treatment is discontinued, although permanent effects in body chemistry can sometimes be seen, as in the case of bone density loss increasing with length of use of DMPA . In May 2016, The New York Times reported that a number of countries use chemical castration on sex offenders, ...
What is the LHRH antagonist?
LHRH antagonists include the following medicines: Advertisement. Degarelix (Firmagon) in monthly injection dosage. Relugolix (Orgovyx) as a daily pill. As long as a person is under drugs the effect of chemical castration stays. The hormone production returns to normal once the drugs are stopped. The effects are also reversible, ...
Where does luteinizing hormone come from?
Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) comes from the pituitary glands signal s the testicles to make testosterone. The LHRH agonist stimulates the production of luteinizing hormone. This causes the testosterone levels to rise. The effect lasts for a few weeks.
Where does testosterone come from?
Androgens i.e. testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are mostly made in the testicles and rest come from the adrenal glands ( 1) Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) comes from the pituitary glands signals the testicles to make testosterone.
How often is a chemical castration procedure done?
Depending on the drug and the dose, it would be repeated once a month or once a year.
What are the side effects of chemical castration?
There are a few side effects related to chemical castration, which include: Reduced or absent sexual desire. Erectile dysfunction. Fatigue. Shrinkage of testicles and penis. Hot flashes. Tenderness in the breasts. Long term side effects include:
What is chemical castration?
Chemical castration is used in the treatment of hormone-dependant cancers such as prostate cancer. It slows down the cancer growth and metastasis. The treatment can be beneficial in the prostate cancers that have spread or recurred after first-line treatment. Chemical castration can also be used to slow the progression of male breast cancer .
Is castration reversible?
As the treatment stops the change is reversible. Surgical castration, also known as orchiectomy, involves the removal of both the testicles. This procedure reduces the levels of testosterone in the blood ( 3). It is an outpatient procedure and once done cannot be reversed.
Why is chemical castration a problem?
However, chemical castration under the current laws is vaguely positioned between punishment and treatment due to lack of informed consent by the recipient, and so remains a problematic issue for medical ethics.
What is the use of hormonal drugs to reduce sexual violence?
Using hormonal drugs to reduce sexual violence recidivism is known as chemical castration. The first reported attempt of hormonal manipulation to reduce pathological sexual behavior occurred in 1944, when diethylstilbestrol was prescribed to lower testosterone levels (1). Medroxyprogesterone acetate and cyproterone acetate have been used ...
When did castration start in Korea?
For the first time in Asia, in July 2011, Korea introduced using chemical castration on sexual offenders. Under the current law, perpetrators of sexual crimes against minors aged less than 16 yr are subject to chemical castration. There have been growing calls for tougher punishment against sexual offenders and stronger preventive measures in ...
Does LHRH reduce testosterone?
Chemical castration using LHRH agonists reduces circulating testosterone to very low levels, and also results in very low levels of recidivism despite the strong psychological factors that contribute to sexual offending (10). Chemical castration has some advantages over surgical castration.
When did California allow castration?
In 1996 , California became the first state in the United States to authorize the use of either chemical or surgical castration for certain sexual offenders who were being released from prison into the community.
Does testosterone affect sexual function?
Testosterone is the major hormone associated with libido and sexual function, and several studies have reported that violent sexual offenders have higher levels of androgens than do nonviolent comparison groups and androgen levels correlate positively with both prior violence and the severity of sexual aggression (4-6).
Is chemical castration better than surgical castration?
Chemical castration has some advantages over surgical castration. First, although chemical castration is potentially life-long for some offenders, it might allow sexual offenders to have normal sexual activity in context with psychotherapy. Second, some sexual offenders may voluntarily receive chemical castration.
Why is chemical castration used?
Chemical castration is a procedure wherein medications are administered to suppress or reduce Testosterone levels. Unlike surgical castration, chemical castration is reversible as the gonads are not removed by a surgical incision. By undertaking this, the male loses the function of his testes, thereby resulting in loss of libido and infertility. When it is done among boys before they attain puberty, it interferes with maturity of their sexual function including the change in their voice and masculinity. It has widely been speculated that the famous pop singer Michael Jackson was chemically castrated by his father Joe in childhood to maintain his high-pitched voice. This was reaffirmed by Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray. Maybe this was inspired from the many castrati opera singers. Castrati were men who were castrated at the age of 8 to 9 years to keep their voice at a higher pitch. This practice was prevalent during the Baroque period in Italy until it was outlawed in 1870. ( 1 ✔)
How is castration done?
Castration is done through two different procedures: In surgical castration, the testes are surgically removed from both the sides. Thus, the effects of this type of castration are permanent. In medical or chemical castration, drugs are administered at regular intervals to reduce the levels of testosterone in the body, ...
Why was castration used in the 1920s?
In 1920’s castration was performed on gay men to stop their sexual impulses but was soon given up. As mentioned previously chemical castration is most commonly used for treatment for advanced prostate cancer, to keep the growth of cancer cells in check. Chemical castration has been rarely used in females too.
Why do eunuchs have high pitched voices?
In fact many eunuchs have a high pitched voice and a rudimentary prostate gland due to castration having been done, before they attain puberty.
How often is Depo Provera given?
The Depo Provera preparation has to be administered every 3 months. Cyproterone acetate: Cyproterone Acetate is an anti-androgen that is used to bring about chemical castration. Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs: These include drugs like leuprolide, goserelin, triptorelin and histrelin.
What is the drug used to castrate?
Drugs used to bring about chemical castration include: Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA): MPA is a long-acting injectable progesterone (a female hormone) that is used as a contraceptive in women. In men, it acts as an anti-androgen. The Depo Provera preparation has to be administered every 3 months. Cyproterone acetate: Cyproterone Acetate is an ...
What is the antagonist for testosterone?
The LHRH antagonist, degarelix, is used in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer as a monthly injection.
How does castration work?
It is done through the administration of antiandrogen drugs, either in pill form or more commonly via injections.
What does it mean when someone tells you to grow a pair?
When someone tells you to ‘grow a pair’, sometimes you really feel like you want to do the opposite. And that, technically, would mean chemical castration. A man’s testicles are the source of his sex drive and many key hormones, and castration is what you might call…. taking them out of action. Castration can be surgical, involving the removal ...
Is birth control a form of castration?
And some may consider the birth control pill in women to be a form of chemical castration, seeing as the hormone changes it effects neutralises their sex drive. Famously, the brilliant mathematician Alan Turing was chemically castrated, in a 1952 deal with the British Government, after being found guilty of indecent homosexual acts.
Does castration help prostate cancer?
But nowadays in the UK, the only common use of chemical castration in the treatment of hormone-dependent cancers, such as some forms of prostate cancer, to combat the disease. Various human hormones can be eliminated by drugs (Picture: Getty)
Does castration cause gynecomastia?
There are side effects to chemical castration, only a few being life-threatening, and males can experience gynecomastia (mammary gland growth) in some cases, as Turing did. Both men and women experience reduced muscle and increased body fat mass as well as weakened bones. These can lead, in the long-term, to cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
Did the British use chemical castration?
But nowadays in the UK, the only common use of chemical castration in the treatment of hormone-dependent cancers, ...
Overview
Chemical castration is castration via anaphrodisiac drugs, whether to reduce libido and sexual activity, to treat cancer, or otherwise. Unlike surgical castration, where the gonads are removed through an incision in the body, chemical castration does not remove organs, nor is it a form of sterilization. Chemical castration is generally considered reversible when treatment is discontinued, although permanent effects in body chemistry can sometimes be seen, as in the c…
Effects
When used on males, these drugs can reduce sex drive, compulsive sexual fantasies, and capacity for sexual arousal. Life-threatening side effects are rare, but some users show increases in body fat and reduced bone density, which increase long-term risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, respectively. They may also experience gynecomastia(development of larger-than-normal mammary glands in males); full development is less common unless chemical castratio…
Treatment for sex offenders
The first use of chemical castration occurred in 1944, when diethylstilbestrol was used with the purpose of lowering men's testosterone. The antipsychotic agent benperidol was sometimes used to diminish sexual urges in people who displayed as then thought inappropriate sexual behavior, and were likewise given by depot injection. But benperidol does not affect testosterone and is therefore not a castration agent. Chemical castration was often seen as an easier alternative to li…
Chemical castration by country
In March 2010, Guillermo Fontana of CNN reported that officials in Mendoza, a province in Argentina, approved the use of voluntary chemical castration for rapists, in return for reduced sentences.
In 1966, John Money became the first American to employ chemical castration by prescribing medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, the base ingredient now used in DMPA) as a treatment for a patient dealing with pedophilic urges. The drug has thereafter become a mainstay of ch…
In March 2010, Guillermo Fontana of CNN reported that officials in Mendoza, a province in Argentina, approved the use of voluntary chemical castration for rapists, in return for reduced sentences.
In 1966, John Money became the first American to employ chemical castration by prescribing medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, the base ingredient now used in DMPA) as a treatment for a patient dealing with pedophilic urges. The drug has thereafter become a mainstay of chemical c…
Objections
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida opposes the administration of any drug that is dangerous or has significant irreversible effect as an alternative to incarceration; however, they do not oppose the use of antiandrogen drugs for sex offenders under carefully controlled circumstances as an alternative to incarceration. Law professor John Stinneford has argued that chemical castration is a cruel and unusual punishmentbecause it exerts control over the mind of …
Treatment of cancer
A major medical use of chemical castration is in the treatment of hormone-dependent cancers, such as some prostate cancer, where it has largely replaced the practice of surgical castration.
Chemical castration involves the administration of antiandrogen drugs, such as cyproterone acetate, flutamide, or gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists.
See also
• Leuprorelin
• Neutersol
• Nonsurgical neutering alternatives
• Triptorelin
Further reading
• Daley, Matthew V. (2008). "A Flawed Solution to the Sex Offender Situation in the United States: The Legality of Chemical Castration for Sex Offenders" (PDF). Indiana Health Law Review. 5 (1): 87–122. doi:10.18060/16522.
• Giordano, Kevin (1 March 2000). "The Chemical Knife". Health & Body. Salon. Archived from the original on 15 March 2002. Retrieved 6 February 2019.