08-14-2020, 12:38 AM
Once again, here we’ve got brainless legislators going off half-cocked (D’oh!) for the sake of optics without regard to science or medicine but… Alabama, why am I not surprised? (sorry Alabamians for the stereotype)
Due to my study and knowledge of trans people medically transitioning, I’m pretty well versed in the methods of reducing testosterone and the various and inconsistent effects they have reducing libido, sexual function, fantasies and behaviors which may reduce recidivism among sex offenders but by no means is a cure-all or guarantee they will not offend again.
In a related article from the New York Times, What to Know About the Alabama Chemical Castration Law, it is suggested Alabama will be using medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera) which is a nasty drug with potentially dangerous side effects that even most stupid trans people know should not be taken. Spironolactone or cyproterone acetate would be much better choices for reducing testosterone but are not without side effects of their own.
I’ve read that other states employing “chemical castration” are using Lupron, a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GNrHa) also known as puberty blockers which stops the signal from the pituitary to the testes that tells them produce testosterone. GNrH agonists like Lupron are VERY expensive ($800 to $1200 per month) and its variants like long lasting Supprelin implants run about $20K annually. Are states really paying for this?
While anti-androgens and hormone blockers may indeed reduce libido, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they eliminate erections. Even some trans people that have had their testicles removed (orchiectomy) but retain their penis can still get erections although spontaneous erections (morning wood) reportedly disappear or are very infrequent.
So what happens after a sex offender has completed parole and is no longer required to suppress their testosterone levels? For those that diddle kids, back to prison is simply not good enough.
Due to my study and knowledge of trans people medically transitioning, I’m pretty well versed in the methods of reducing testosterone and the various and inconsistent effects they have reducing libido, sexual function, fantasies and behaviors which may reduce recidivism among sex offenders but by no means is a cure-all or guarantee they will not offend again.
In a related article from the New York Times, What to Know About the Alabama Chemical Castration Law, it is suggested Alabama will be using medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera) which is a nasty drug with potentially dangerous side effects that even most stupid trans people know should not be taken. Spironolactone or cyproterone acetate would be much better choices for reducing testosterone but are not without side effects of their own.
I’ve read that other states employing “chemical castration” are using Lupron, a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GNrHa) also known as puberty blockers which stops the signal from the pituitary to the testes that tells them produce testosterone. GNrH agonists like Lupron are VERY expensive ($800 to $1200 per month) and its variants like long lasting Supprelin implants run about $20K annually. Are states really paying for this?
While anti-androgens and hormone blockers may indeed reduce libido, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they eliminate erections. Even some trans people that have had their testicles removed (orchiectomy) but retain their penis can still get erections although spontaneous erections (morning wood) reportedly disappear or are very infrequent.
So what happens after a sex offender has completed parole and is no longer required to suppress their testosterone levels? For those that diddle kids, back to prison is simply not good enough.
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.