Castration, Chemical

Chemical castration employs the drug medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), a female hormone that reduces the production and effect of testosterone, to control deviant sexual impulses and desires in convicted sex offenders. Chemical castration is typically performed after conviction for a sex-related crime and without the consent of the offender. The deterrent effect of chemical castration arguably makes society safer and more secure, at least with regard to the castrated individual; however, chemical castration also involves individual privacy rights because it constitutes a bodily invasion of the offender.

Until recently, castration was prohibited by the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as a cruel and unusual punishment. Since 1996, however, eight states have adopted (though two have since repealed) statutes permitting chemical castration of convicted sex offenders. Because ...