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| {{CMG}}
| | #Redirect [[Castration]] |
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| '''Chemical castration''' is a form of temporary [[castration]] caused by [[hormone|hormonal]] [[medication]]. It is a preventive measure or punishment for those who have committed violent [[sex crime]]s such as [[rape]], or for other crimes such as [[child sexual abuse]], which may or may not be violent in nature. [[Depo-Provera]], a [[progestin]], is a drug that is sometimes used in treatment of [[sex offenders]].
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| ==Chemical castration in the United States==
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| According to [http://www.law.cuny.edu/app/faculty/faculty_detail.jsp?name=Kirchmeier%2C+Jeffrey+L. Jeffrey Kirchmeier], at least six states have experimented with chemical castration laws in the United States. Those states are [[California]], [[Florida]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|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.<ref>[http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=pen&group=00001-01000&file=639-653.1 California code]</ref><ref>[http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/313/7059/707/a "Chemical castration for paedophiles approved" in California] 21 September 1996</ref> 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. <ref>[http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-ICE/default.asp?category=billinfo&service=IowaCode Iowa Code 2007 Quick Retrieval]</ref><ref>[http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0794/SEC0235.HTM&Title=-%3E2006-%3ECh0794-%3ESection%200235#0794.0235 The 2007 Florida Statutes: 794.0235 Administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) to persons convicted of sexual battery.]</ref><ref>[http://www.aclufl.org/about/newsletters/1997/chem.cfm Chemical Castration: A Return to the Dark Ages] Florida, August 1997, [http://www.law.fsu.edu/journals/lawreview/downloads/252/spalding.pdf PDF]</ref>
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| ==Criticism==
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| Though generally considered more humane than surgical castration, chemical castration has attracted a number of critics.
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| 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 [[constitutionality|constitutionally]] prohibited by the [[Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Eighth Amendment]]. They also stated that it interfered with sex offenders' "right to procreate", {{Fact|date=June 2007}} and could expose users to various health problems.
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| 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.
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| ==Side effects==
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| The use of Depo-Provera can cause several side effects including weight gain, [[fatigue (physical)|fatigue]], [[thromboembolism]], [[malaise]], [[hypertension]], mild [[depression (mood)|depression]], [[hypoglycemia]] and rare changes in [[liver enzymes]].
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| In addition to ethical concerns, chemical castration may increase [[blood pressure]] in males, sometimes to dangerous levels. Chemical castration may sometimes cause [[gynecomastia]], a side effect that is sometimes treated with [[tamoxifen]], a [[Selective estrogen receptor modulator|SERM]]. Other [[Adverse effect (medicine)|side effects]], such as the formation of abnormal fat deposits in the liver, are being investigated.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
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| ==Notes==
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| {{reflist|2}}
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| [[Category:Punishments]]
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| [[Category:Child sexual abuse]]
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| [[Category:Crime]]
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