Chemical castration is
castration via
drugs, whether to reduce
libido and sexual activity,
to treat cancer, or otherwise. Unlike
surgical castration, where the
gonads are removed through an incision in the body, chemical castration does not remove organs, nor is it a form of
sterilization. Chemical castration is generally considered reversible when treatment is discontinued, although permanent effects in body chemistry can sometimes be seen, as in the case of
bone density loss increasing with length of use of
DMPA.