What is chemical castration?

Castration, whose term in Albanian is castration, is the practice of removing, tapping, or numbing the male organs of an animal or human in order to make it incapable of having sex or creating offspring. Chemical castration consists of the use of various medications to reduce sexual desire and activity. Chemical casting is generally performed in cycles, although the effects tend to be permanent in the body. In May 2016, the New York Times reported a large number of countries using dry cleaning against sexual abusers.

Effect on men and women

Effect in men: The use of chemical castration drugs reduces sexual activity and fantasies. There are no life-threatening side effects. Reports indicate that people who practice chemical castration have increased fat loss in shame and bone damage, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

Effect in women: When used in women, chemical castration has similar effects, although at this point the research is less, as most research focuses on the effects it causes in men, as long as the use in them is greater.

Use of sexual abusers

Chemical casting is often seen as an easier alternative to life imprisonment or the death penalty (in places where this punitive measure is applied) because it allows the release of offenders and reduces / eliminates the possibility of them committing abuse.

In a 1981 study, 48 men with a long history of abnormal sexual behavior were given medroxyprogesterone acetate for 12 months. 40 of them had a decrease in deviant sexual behaviors, less frequent fantasies and more control over their behaviors. Nowadays, leuprolide is often used, a drug that has had higher levels of success, but its use is limited because it poses a risk during recovery.

Use of chemical castration in Europe

Chemical casting was used in Europe years ago, initially not for sexual abusers. In 1952, in the United Kingdom, Alan Turing, known for his contributions to mathematics and computer science, was found guilty of having sex and admitting chemical castration to avoid prison. At the time, homosexual intercourse was illegal, and sexual orientation was widely considered a disease. Turing died two years later as a result of severe side effects (breast enlargement).

In the 1960s, Germany used chemical castration to treat sexual paraphilia - experiences, fantasies, and unusual sexual behaviors.

In 2008, there was an experiment in Portuguese prisons on the use of chemical castration, which later included rehabilitation sites.

In September 2009, Poland granted legal force to chemical castration against pedophiles, and the law came into force in 2010, so in Poland, anyone found guilty of abusing a child under the age of 15 undergoes mandatory castration therapy. chemical and psychological therapies to reduce deviant sexual behaviors.

In 2012, Moldova legally recognized chemical castration against pedophiles. Two years later, Estonia approved voluntary chemical castration as an alternative to imprisonment, but it is rarely used as a practice.

In 2013, northern Macedonia proposed voluntary castration of sexual abusers, and if the crime is repeated, castration is mandatory.

Other countries where chemical castration is applied: USA, South Korea, Russia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Israel, India, etc.

Important question: Does it work?

Researchers in the United States and abroad have shown that chemical castration has reduced the deviant behavior of convicts for sexual harassment and abuse, compared to people who were released from prisons without such treatment. .

Are there any opposing views?

Some critics say the law on chemical castration should not be binding, but that abusers should be encouraged to stay in prison or subjected to chemical castration. However, this practice is followed even in cases where sexual abusers leave legal institutions.

Sources: Healthline, New York Times, Science Direct