Claim: Castration Drug Used as Autism Therapy
Verdict: SUPPORTS

Retrieved passages:
title: Mark Geier
text: the drug Lupron, which acts as chemical castration. Mark Geier has called Lupron "the miracle drug" and the Geiers have marketed the protocol across the U.S. The Geiers filed three U.S. patent applications on the use of Lupron in combination with chelation therapy as a treatment protocol for autism based on the hypothesis that "testosterone mercury" along with low levels of glutathione blocks the conversion of DHEA to DHEA-S and therefore raises androgens which in turn further lower glutathione levels, ultimately providing a connection between autism, mercury exposure, and hyperandrogenicity, specifically precocious puberty. According to expert pediatric endocrinologists, the Lupron

title: Pedophilia
text: fewer side-effects, are also used to reduce libido, as are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The evidence for these alternatives is more limited and mostly based on open trials and case studies. All of these treatments, commonly referred to as "chemical castration", are often used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy. According to the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, when treating child molesters, "anti-androgen treatment should be coupled with appropriate monitoring and counseling within a comprehensive treatment plan." These drugs may have side-effects, such as weight gain, breast development, liver damage and osteoporosis. Historically, surgical castration was used to

title: Leuprorelin
text: Abbott Laboratories (2008-current) under the brand name "Lupron". It is available as a slow-release implant or subcutaneous/intramuscular injection. In the UK and Ireland, leuprorelin is marketed by Takeda UK as "Prostap SR" (one-month injection) and "Prostap 3" (three-month injection). A 2005 paper suggested leuprorelin as a possible treatment for autism, the hypothetical method of action being the now defunct hypothesis that autism is caused by mercury, with the additional unfounded assumption that mercury binds irreversibly to testosterone and therefore leuprorelin can help cure autism by lowering the testosterone levels and thereby mercury levels. However, there is no scientifically valid or

title: Chemical castration
text: not affect testosterone and is therefore not a castration agent. Chemical castration is often seen as an easier alternative to life imprisonment or the death penalty because it allows the release of sex offenders while reducing or eliminating the chance that they reoffend. In 1981, in an experiment by P. Gagne, 48 males with long-standing histories of sexually deviant behaviour were given medroxyprogesterone acetate for as long as 12 months. Forty of those subjects were recorded as to have diminished desires for deviant sexual behaviour, less frequent sexual fantasies, and greater control over sexual urges. The research recorded a continuation

title: Chemical castration
text: the drug. In 2009 a study into the effectiveness of the drug by Dr David Wales for the Corrections Department found that no research had been conducted in New Zealand into the effectiveness and such trials were "ethically and practically very difficult to carry out." In October 2011, the Russian parliament approved a law that allows a court-requested forensic psychiatrist to prescribe the chemical castration of convicted sex offenders who have harmed children under the age of 14. In July 2011, South Korea enacted a law allowing judges the power to sentence sex offenders who have attacked children under the

title: Mark Geier
text: protocol for autism is supported only by junk science. The reaction of mercury and testosterone which the therapy is intended to treat is actually based on a protocol used to create testosterone crystals for use in X-ray crystallography rather than a physiological process that occurs in the human body. Although Abbott Laboratories sells Lupron in the U.S. and cooperated with the Geiers in one of the patent applications, it is no longer pursuing work with them, citing the nonexistence of scientific evidence to justify further research. When treating an autistic child, the Geiers order several dozen lab tests, costing $12,000:

title: Chemical castration
text: drug has thereafter 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. California was the first U.S. state to specify the use of chemical castration as a punishment for child molestation, following the passage of a modification to Section 645 of the California penal code in 1996. This law stipulates that anyone convicted of child molestation with a minor under 13 years of age may be treated with DMPA if they are on parole after their second

title: Chemical castration
text: but anti-androgenic hormone regimens would lower testosterone in women which can impact sex drive or sexual response. These drugs also deflate the breast glands and expand the size of the nipple. Also seen is a sudden shrink in bone mass and discoloration of the lips, reduced body hair, and muscle mass. The first use of chemical castration occurred in 1944, when diethylstilbestrol was used with the purpose of lowering men's testosterone. The antipsychotic agent benperidol is sometimes used to diminish sexual urges in people who display inappropriate sexual behavior, and can likewise be given by depot injection. But benperidol does

title: Castration
text: to help and rescue these boys. "Voluntary" chemical or surgical castration has been in practice in many countries—reports are available from American and European countries in particular for over eighty years (chemical for circa thirty)—as an option for treatment for people who have broken laws of a sexual nature, allowing them to return to the community from otherwise lengthy detentions. The effectiveness and ethics of this treatment are heavily debated. A "temporary" "chemical castration" has been studied and developed as a preventive measure and punishment for several repeated sex crimes, such as rape or other sexually related violence. This has

title: Paraphilia
text: content of the paraphilia. They are typically combined with cognitive behavioral therapy for best effect. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used, especially with exhibitionists, non-offending pedophiles, and compulsive masturbators. They are proposed to work by reducing sexual arousal, compulsivity, and depressive symptoms. They have been well received and are considered an important pharmacological treatment of paraphilia. Antiandrogens are used in more severe cases. Similar to physical castration, they work by reducing androgen levels, and have thus been described as chemical castration. The antiandrogen cyproterone acetate has been shown to substantially reduce sexual fantasies and offending behaviors. Medroxyprogesterone acetate and

title: Chemical castration
text: on the grounds that the drug medroxyprogesterone acetate had not yet gained acceptance as being safe and reliable and also due to the difficulty of obtaining informed consent under these circumstances. A major medical use of chemical castration is in the treatment of hormone-dependent cancers, such as some prostate cancer, where it has largely replaced the practice of surgical castration. Chemical castration involves the administration of antiandrogen drugs, such as cyproterone acetate, flutamide, or gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists. Chemical castration Chemical castration is castration via anaphrodisiac drugs, whether to reduce libido and sexual activity, to treat cancer, or otherwise. Unlike surgical

title: Chemical castration
text: arousal makes it more difficult to orgasm by masturbation without pornography or with non-preferred stimulation. In March 2010, Guillermo Fontana of CNN reported that officials in Mendoza, a province in Argentina, approved the use of voluntary chemical castration for rapists, in return for reduced sentences. In 2010, a repeat child sex offender who had been subject to chemical castration was accused of inappropriately touching and kissing a young girl. He was found not guilty by a jury, which was not informed of the context of his previous offenses. The drug cyproterone acetate has been commonly used for chemical castration throughout

title: Valerie Hu
text: two proteins produced by genes which showed changes in DNA methylation were reduced in the brains of autistic children relative to controls. Based on this finding, Hu has proposed that the use of drugs which block the chemical tagging of these genes may be a useful treatment for autism. An additional topic of Hu's research has been her discovery that the gene RORA that may be under positive regulation by androgens, leading to a buildup of additional testosterone which may contribute to the male bias of autism. Valerie Hu Valerie Wailin Hu is a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology

title: ApothéCure Inc.
text: the company but issued a letter of warning. In a later case in Pennsylvania, ApothéCure was one of several parties sued over the fatal administration of disodium EDTA to an autistic five-year-old boy in 2005. Dr. Roy Kerry prescribed the drug for chelation therapy, which some people believe is helpful to treat autism. However, this usage is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ApothéCure has been implicated in the March and April, 2007, deaths of three patients from the Pacific Northwest. The patients were each given intravenous colchicine, a substance commonly used in naturopathic medicine, for

title: Autism therapies
text: was efficacious against hyperactivity associated with ASD, though with less response than in neurotypical children with ADHD. Of the many medications studied for treatment of aggressive and self-injurious behavior in children and adolescents with autism, only risperidone and methylphenidate demonstrate results that have been replicated. A 1998 study of the hormone secretin reported improved symptoms and generated tremendous interest, but several controlled studies since have found no benefit. Oxytocin may play a role in autism and may be an effective treatment for repetitive and affiliative behaviors; two related studies in adults found that oxytocin decreased repetitive behaviors and improved interpretation

title: Chemical castration
text: has cast doubt on this result. In 2009, the then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued a public apology for the "appalling" treatment of Turing after an online petition gained 30,000 signatures and international recognition. He was given a posthumous Royal Pardon in December 2013. In the 1960s, German physicians used antiandrogens as a treatment for sexual paraphilia. In 2008, an experimental intervention program was launched in three Portuguese prisons: Carregueira (Belas, Sintra), Paços de Ferreira and Funchal. The program developers note the voluntary nature of the program a crucial factor in its success. They initially planned to cover ten

title: William Shaw (autism researcher)
text: in 2013 in the "Journal of Restorative Medicine". Shaw has also contended that yeast infections may also cause autism, and has also endorsed chelation therapy as an autism treatment. Another topic Shaw has researched has been the excretion of certain metabolites of clostridia bacteria, such as 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropionic acid. This research has concluded that autistic children excrete higher levels of this compound, and that antibiotics may therefore be useful as an autism treatment. He is the author of "Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD," and gave a speech to the organization Parents Helping Parents in Santa Clara, California in 2008. William

title: Chemical castration
text: Europe. It resembles the drug MPA used in America. In the United Kingdom, computer scientist Alan Turing, famous for his contributions to mathematics and computer science, was a homosexual who was forced to undergo chemical castration in order to avoid imprisonment in 1952. At the time, homosexual acts between males were still illegal and homosexual orientation was widely considered to be a mental illness that could be treated with chemical castration. Turing experienced side effects such as breast enlargement and bloating of the physique. He died two years later, with the inquest returning a verdict of suicide, although recent research

title: Autism therapies
text: reduce autistic behaviors, and is a commonly used supplement. Two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies found no statistically significant effect on autistic behaviors, and reported few side effects. No peer-reviewed studies have addressed treatment with the related compound trimethylglycine. Vitamin C decreased stereotyped behavior in a small 1993 study. The study has not been replicated, and vitamin C has limited popularity as an autism treatment. High doses might cause kidney stones or gastrointestinal upset such as diarrhea. Probiotics containing potentially beneficial bacteria are hypothesized to relieve some symptoms of autism by minimizing yeast overgrowth in the colon. The hypothesized yeast overgrowth has

title: Autism therapies
text: devices are still under development. Robots have also been proposed as educational aids for autistic children. Transcranial magnetic stimulation, which is a somewhat well established treatment for depression, has been proposed, and used, as a treatment for autism. A review published in 2013 found insufficient evidence to support its widespread use for autism spectrum disorders. A 2015 review found tentative but insufficient evidence to justify its use outside of clinical studies. Mesenchymal stem cells and cord blood CD34+ cells have been proposed to treat autism, but this proposal has not been tested. They may represent a future treatment. Since immune