Chemical castration for child sexual abusers

Chemical castration for child sexual abusers Researchers from Sweden are seeking crowdfunding to test "chemical castration" in men who report having pedophilic thoughts and fantasies, by using the GNRH antagonist anti prostate cancer drug degarelix. Up to 5 percent of the general population has pedophilia, a disorder marked by persistent sexual attraction to pre- or early-pubescent children. Testosterone is key here to at least three risk factors for abusing children sexually – high sexual arousal, disturbed self-regulation and low empathy Lowering testosterone could reduce the risk of men with pedophilic traits molesting children. Child sexual abuse is a widespread problem with around 1 in 10 girls and 1 in 20 boys suffering abuse. Chemical castration has previously been tried in Sweden, Denmark and Canada and is mandatory in Poland and Russia. Evidence from Scandinavia suggests it can cut rates of reoffending from 40% to 5%. Degarelix has an immediate onset of action, binding to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptors in the pituitary gland and blocking their interaction with GnRH. This induces a fast and profound reduction in luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and in turn, testosterone suppression While the GnRH agonists (leuprolide) cause an initial stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, leading to a surge in testosterone levels, and under certain circumstances, a flare-up of the tumor, the GnRH antagonists do not cause a testosterone in testosterone or clinical flare. Degarelix injection comes as a powder to be mixed with liquid and injected under the skin in the stomach area, away from the ribs and waistline. It is usually injected once every 28 days. Degarelix is a rapidly acting injectable drug that can reduce testosterone to undetectable levels within three days. It may have measurable risk-reducing effects within two weeks, which could last for up to three months. Three days after receiving an injection of degarelix, 97% of treated men have almost no detectable levels of testosterone in their blood.