Chemical castration is a form of temporary castration caused by certain hormonal drugs. It has been controversely used as a temporary preventive measure or punishment, typically for those who have broken laws of a sexual nature. Chemical castration may also be used as hormonal therapy for certain cancers. Castration (also referred as: gelding, neutering, orchiectomy, orchidectomy, and oophorectomy) is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testes or a female loses the functions of the ovaries. ... Norepinephrine A hormone (from Greek όρμή - to set in motion) is a chemical messenger from one cell (or group of cells) to another. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hormonal therapy is one of the major modalities of medical treatment for cancer, others being cytotoxic chemotherapy and targeted therapy (biotherapeutics). ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ...

Depot Provera, a progestin; and tamoxifen, a drug also used in the treatment of breast cancer, are the drugs most commonly used today for sex offenders. Depo Provera acts on the brain to inhibit hormones that stimulate the testicles to produce testosterone; whereas tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator(SERM), works by selectively antagonizing some estrogen receptors, while agonizing others. Depo Provera also neutralises all testosterone so none can be converted to estrogen by the aromatase enzyme. The herb chrysin works by blocking the aromatase enzyme. Spironolactone, a diuretic, also is an effective testosterone blocker. A progestin is a synthetic progestagen. ... Tamoxifen is an oral selective estrogen receptor modulator which is used in breast cancer treatment, and is currently the worlds largest selling breast cancer treatment. ... Breast cancer is cancer of breast tissue. ... In animals, the brain or encephalon (Greek for in the head), is the control center of the central nervous system, responsible for behaviour. ... The testicle (from Latin testis, meaning witness [1], plural testes) or ballock is the male generative gland in animals. ... Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. ... Tamoxifen is an oral selective estrogen receptor modulator which is used in breast cancer treatment, and is currently the worlds largest selling breast cancer treatment. ... Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) is a class of medication that acts on the estrogen receptor. ... The estrogen receptor is a receptor for estradiol (the main endogenous estrogen); it is located intracellularly, in parallel with other steroid hormone receptors. ... Aromatase belongs to the group of cytochrome P450 enzymes (EC 1. ... Ribbon diagram of the enzyme TIM, surrounded by the space-filling model of the protein. ... Chrysin is a naturally occurring isoflavone chemically extracted from the blue passion flower (Passiflora caerulea). ... Spironolactone (marketed under the trade names Aldactone, Novo-Spiroton, Spiractin, Spirotone, or Berlactone) is a synthetic steroid which is commonly used as a diuretic or as an antiandrogen. ... A diuretic (colloquially called a water pill) is any drug or herb that elevates the rate of bodily urine excretion (diuresis). ...

Chemical castration also occurs as a natural consequence of hormone treatment for male-to-female transsexualism. However, unlike the treatment used on sex offenders, the hormones commonly used lead to permanent infertility. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for transgender and transsexual people replaces the hormones naturally occurring in their bodies with those of the other sex. ... Look up Transsexualism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Infertility primarily refers to the biological inability of a man or a woman to contribute to conception. ...

Some parasitic trematodes chemically castrate their host; see microphallus. A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. ... Orders not necessarily a complete list Azygiida Echinostomida Opisthorchiida Plagiorchiida Strigeata Strigeatida Trematodes are also known as flukes. ... Species M. piriformes Synonyms Microphallus is a genus of parasitic trematodes (flukes) in the family Microphallidae. ...

Chemical castration in the United States

According to Jeffrey Kirchmeier, at least six states have experimented with chemical castration laws in the United States. Those states are California, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, and Montana. California was the first state to use chemical castration as a punishment for sex offenders. In California, judges may require first-time offenders to undergo chemical castration. After a second offense treatment is mandatory.[1] In Iowa and Florida chemical castration is available in all cases involving serious sex offenses. As in California treatment is mandatory after a second offense. [2] [3] Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) de jure: none de facto: English & French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans [1] Area  Ranked 31st  - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 16  - Latitude 29°N to 33°N  - Longitude 89°W... Official language(s) English Capital Helena Largest city Billings Area  Ranked 4th  - Total 147,165 sq mi (381,156 km²)  - Width 255 miles (410 km)  - Length 630 miles (1,015 km)  - % water 1  - Latitude 44°26N to 49°N  - Longitude 104°2W to 116°2W Population  Ranked...

Criticism

Though generally considered more humane than surgical castration, chemical castration has attracted a number of critics.

The American Civil Liberties Union opposes the coerced administration of any drug, including antiandrogen drugs for sex offenders. They argued in 1997 that forced chemical castration was a "cruel and unusual punishment", and thereby constitutionally prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. They also stated that it interfered with sex offenders' "right to procreate", ^{[citation needed]} and could expose users to various health problems. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a major American non-profit organization whose stated mission is to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.[1] It works through litigation, legislation, and community... “Cruel And Unusual” redirects here. ... Constitutionality is the status of a law, a procedure, or an acts accordance with the laws or guidelines set forth in the applicable constitution. ... The Bill of Rights in the National Archives Amendment VIII (the Eighth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the U.S. Bill of Rights, prohibits excessive bail or fines, as well as cruel and unusual punishment. ...

Large doses are required to be effective in men. Most men will receive 400mg to 500mg per week, equal to 2.5 ml in each buttock. In some cases, men given oral doses as high as 700 mg/day have still reported regular sexual arousal and fantasies. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Arousal is a physiological and psychological state of being awake. ...

Side effects

The use of Depo-Provera can cause several side effects including weight gain, fatigue, thromboembolism, malaise, hypertension, mild depression, hypoglycemia and rare changes in liver enzymes. The word fatigue is used in everyday living to describe a range of afflictions, varying from a general state of lethargy to a specific work induced burning sensation within muscle. ... Thrombosis is the formation of a clot or thrombus inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. ... Malaise is a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness, an out of sorts feeling, often the first indication of an infection or other disease. ... For other forms of hypertension, see Hypertension (disambiguation). ... “Sad” redirects here. ... Hypoglycemia (hypoglycæmia in the UK) is a medical term referring to a pathologic state produced by a lower than normal level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. ... Liver function tests (LFTs or LFs), are groups of clinical biochemistry laboratory blood assays designed to give a doctor or other health professional information about the state of a patients liver. ...

In most men the use of tamoxifen will produce no side effects. In rare cases it may result in headaches, nausea, vomiting or skin rash. Weight loss has also been reported in men due to reversal of the bloating effect of excess estrogen caused by fluid retention.

In addition to ethical concerns, chemical castration may increase blood pressure in males, sometimes to dangerous levels. Other side effects, such as the formation of abnormal fat deposits in the liver, are being investigated.^{[citation needed]} A sphygmomanometer, a device used for measuring blood pressure. ... Adverse effect, in medicine, is an abnormal, harmful, undesired and/or unintended side-effect, although not necessarily unexpected, which is obtained as the result of a therapy or other medical intervention, such as drug/chemotherapy, physical therapy, surgery, medical procedure, use of a medical device, etc. ...

External links

• ACLU article on chemical castration
• "Chemical castration for paedophiles approved"
• "Florida's 1997 Chemical Castration Law: A Return to the Dark Ages"
• "National Cancer Institute - Tamoxifen"
• "Dr J L Schaller - Sexual Addiction"