Chemical Castration Becomes the Law in Alabama

Alabama has a new law that requires some convicted pedophiles to undergo chemical castration. Under the law, those found guilty of a sex offense against a minor younger than 13 will have to start medication that lowers testosterone levels before being released on parole.

Offenders will have to stay on the medication, “medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) treatment or its chemical equivalent” under the law, until the court says it is no longer necessary, and offenders are generally required to pick up the tab.

Seven U.S. states now have chemical castration laws. Offenders take a pill or get an injection that may lower their sex drive, some studies indicate. The effects are reversible when users stop taking the drug.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama criticized the bill, signed into law by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Monday.

“It’s not clear that this actually has any effect and whether it’s even medically proven,” ACLU of Alabama Executive Director Randall Marshall told AL.com. “When the state starts experimenting on people, I think it runs afoul of the Constitution.”

MPA, a synthetic version of the female hormone progesterone, is commonly prescribed for birth control under the brand name Provera.

The U.S. is one of several countries employing chemical castration. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, have been employing the tactic for close to 70 years. Dr. John Money became the first American to use MPA as a treatment for a patient dealing with pedophilic fantasies in 1966. The drug has since become a mainstay of chemical castration in America. Despite its long history and established use, the drug has never been approved by the FDA for use as a treatment for sexual offenders.

Alabama’s new law goes into effect Sept. 1, 2019.