What is chemical castration and how does it work?
Chemical castration is the use of hormonal drugs to supposedly reduce or eliminate sexual urges and fantasies.
It can be used to treat cancer but a number of countries have legalised chemical castration as a punishment for sexual offenders, particularly paedophiles.
Unlike surgical castration, chemical castration is reversible and does not constitute sterilisation as the effects usually stop when the treatment ends.
Some countries offer voluntary chemical castration to sex offenders in exchange for reduced sentences. In other places, the punishment is mandatory.
The process is thought to be most successful when done in conjunction with psychotherapy, however this option is not always considered.
While chemical castration is thought to reduce libido, it is controversial because it does not guarantee a convict will not reoffend and it can have long-term impacts on the person's health.
Pioneering computer scientist Alan Turing helped the UK crack the Enigma code during WWII but was chemically castrated after being convicted for 'gross indecency' at a time when homosexuality was illegal and considered a mental illness. Turing was posthumously pardoned
It also has a history of misuse as society's definitions of what constitutes 'sexual deviance' change and develop.
Perhaps the most famous instance of chemical castration was that of pioneering British computer scientist Alan Turing who helped to break the Enigma code during WWII.
Turing was convicted of 'gross indecency' in 1952 - a time when homosexuality was illegal in the United Kingdom and widely considered to be a mental illness.
He accepted chemical castration as an alternative to imprisonment but died two years later in a possible suicide.
In 2009, then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued a public apology and four years later Turing received a royal pardon.
While some celebrated the pardon, others called for it to be extended to all LGBTQ people punished in this way, not just those who helped the UK to win the war.
Source: Britannica
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