# Whatever happened to:  Chemical Castration?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-chemical-castration/190491>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 23, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-chemical-castration/190491 "2003-07-23T22:11:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-chemical-castration/190491/1 "2003-07-23T22:11:46Z")

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I can remember discussions about performing chemical castration on persons convicted of rape and child molestation. I don’t remember anything about the chemicals used, nor, do I remember the outcome.

Are people being chemically castrated today?

Bob

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-chemical-castration/190491/2 "2003-07-24T02:21:44Z")

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On convicts? Not generally. The depo-provera shot decreases libido, but doesn’t keep a person from re-offending.

Some men who are obsessed with unwanted sexual desires and fantasies are treated with the medication to give them “a break from their urges”.

> [@](#):
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> There is some debate about the effectiveness of chemical castration and the use of the drug depo-provera used in the process (it requires weekly injections). Dr. Fred Berlin of the Sexual Disorders Clinic at Johns Hopkins has stated that there is “no evidence that forcibly chemically castrating someone will work when that person does not want it to work.” Moreover, the drug has a range of common side effects, including diabetes, gallstones, and hypertension.

[http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/miller5/chapter9/custom4/deluxe-content.html](http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/miller5/chapter9/custom4/deluxe-content.html)

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**Author:** ![Phage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@Phage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phage)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-chemical-castration/190491/3 "2003-07-24T03:30:42Z")

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“Chemical Castration” = Band Name