Chemical castration is a form of temporary castration caused by hormonal medication. Castration (also referred to as Gelding, Neutering, Fixing, orchiectomy, and orchidectomy is any action surgical, chemical Hormones (from Greek ὁρμή - "impetus" are chemicals released by cells that affect cells in other parts of the body Medication, also referred to as medicine, can be loosely defined as any substance intended for use in the diagnosis cure mitigation treatment or prevention of disease It is a preventive measure or punishment for those who have committed violent sex crimes such as rape, or for other crimes such as child sexual abuse, which may or may not be violent in nature. Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person Child sexual abuse is a form of Child abuse in which a child is abused for the sexual gratification of an adult or older adolescent Depo-Provera, a progestin, is a drug that is sometimes used in treatment of sex offenders. Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate ( DMPA) is a Progestin -only hormonal contraceptive Birth control drug which is injected every 3 months A progestin is a synthetic progestagen that has progestinic effects similar to Progesterone. A sex offender is a person who has been criminally charged and convicted of or has pled guilty to or pled Nolo contendere to a Sex crime.

Contents 1 Chemical castration in the United States 2 Criticism 3 Side effects 4 Notes

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 ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern 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][2] 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. ^[3][4][5]

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. The American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU) consists of two separate Non-profit organizations the ACLU Foundation a 501(c(3 organization which focuses They argued in 1997 that forced chemical castration was a "cruel and unusual punishment", and thereby constitutionally prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. Constitutionality is the status of a law, a procedure or an act's accordance with the laws or guidelines set forth in the applicable Constitution. The Eighth Amendment ( Amendment VIII) to the United States Constitution is part of the United States Bill of Rights which took effect in 1791 They also stated that it interfered with sex offenders' "right to procreate", and could expose users to various health problems.

Large doses are required to be effective in men. Most men will receive 400mg to 500mg per week. In some cases, men given oral doses as high as 700 mg/day have still reported regular sexual arousal and fantasies. 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. Thrombosis is the formation of a blood Clot ( Thrombus) inside a Blood vessel, obstructing the flow of Blood through the Circulatory Malaise is a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness an "out of sorts" feeling often the first indication of an infection or other disease Hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, HTN or HPN, is a medical condition in which the Blood pressure is chronically elevated In the fields of Psychology and Psychiatry, the terms depression or depressed refer to both expected and pathologically chronic or severe Hypoglycemia or hypoglycaemia is the medical term for a pathologic state produced by a lower than normal level of Glucose ( sugar) in the blood Liver function tests (LFTs or LFs which include liver enzymes, are groups of Clinical biochemistry laboratory blood assays designed to give information about the

In addition to ethical concerns, chemical castration may increase blood pressure in males, sometimes to dangerous levels. Blood pressure is also the title of a short story by Damon Runyan in Guys and Dolls and Other Stories Chemical castration may sometimes cause gynecomastia, a side effect that is sometimes treated with tamoxifen, a SERM. Gynecomastia, or gynaecomastia, ˌgaɪnəkoʊˈmæstiə is the development of abnormally large Mammary glands in Males resulting in breast enlargement which Tamoxifen is an orally active Selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM that is used in the treatment of Breast cancer and is currently the world's largest Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators ( SERMs) are a class of Medication that acts on the Estrogen receptor. Other side effects, such as the formation of abnormal fat deposits in the liver, are being investigated. In Medicine, an adverse effect is a harmful and undesired effect resulting from a medication or other intervention such as Chemotherapy or Surgery.

Notes

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