Swedish scientists decided to test how well a prostate cancer drug will help prevent pedophilia. Reported by Science News.
Researchers are trying to raise money ($ 53,000) for clinical trials through crowdfunding. They want to show that a drug that lowers testosterone production in the body can suppress the urge to pedophilia. So far, five men have been hired to participate in the tests, and in the future the group is planned to be increased to 60 people.
Scientists do not plan to involve persons who have already committed sexual crimes in the study. On the contrary, the new project is aimed at people who need help to suppress their own impulses to sexual perversion, said project employee Christoffer Rahm. The plan is to recruit volunteers through Preventell, a Swedish hotline for people suffering from unwanted sexual disorders.
The drug of choice is called firmagon (also known as degarelix). The drug belongs to the class of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and ultimately blocks testosterone production in the testes. Other drugs of this type lead to an initial rise in testosterone levels - and therefore cannot help pedophiles who need to immediately suppress dangerous impulses.
The Swedish authorities have already given permission to conduct the tests. Half of the volunteers will receive a placebo. Over the course of three months, doctors will measure the level of sexual arousal, self-control and empathy - all of these parameters are risk factors for sexual crimes.
The appeal to crowdfunding was due to the fact that neither the state nor private foundations supported the project, and scientists considered it ethically unacceptable to take money from the drug manufacturer. The collected funds will be used to buy medicine, pay for a nurse and examinations using magnetic resonance imaging.