"One a Day Keeps the Prison Away": Understanding the Experiences of Individuals Convicted of Sexual Offences Receiving Anti-Androgens for the Treatment of Problematic Sexual Arousal
- PMID: 38594464
- PMCID: PMC11176105
- DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02847-z
"One a Day Keeps the Prison Away": Understanding the Experiences of Individuals Convicted of Sexual Offences Receiving Anti-Androgens for the Treatment of Problematic Sexual Arousal
Abstract
Problematic sexual arousal (PSA) is an umbrella term to describe a range of clinical presentations related to excessive sexual thinking (e.g., sexual preoccupation) and sexual behavior (e.g., hypersexuality). Although such concepts are known to affect sexual recidivism among individuals convicted of sexual offences, PSA is not routinely or directly targeted in offending behavior programs in England and Wales. However, in recent years, there have been moves to incorporate pharmacological interventions for addressing this among people with sexual offence histories. Although some work to understand the experiences of those taking SSRI medication for this purpose has emerged, little is known about the experiences of service users taking anti-androgen medication. In this study, we interviewed all individuals in prison taking anti-androgens for the treatment of problematic sexual arousal following convictions for sexual offences in England at the time of data collection (N = 10). Using a phenomenologically oriented thematic analysis, we established themes pertaining to "Differing needs: Motivations for treatment," "Medication as a risk management strategy," and how the medication helped the men in their pursuit of "Discovering a 'new me'." This work contributes important knowledge to inform the development of ethical and effective prescribing of anti-androgen medication with this population and offer recommendations for both future research and the development of clinical practice.
Keywords: Anti-androgens; Pharmacological therapy; Problematic sexual arousal; Sex offenders.
© 2024. The Author(s).
Conflict of interest statement
RL, HS, BW, and CN received funding from HMPPS and NHS England to evaluate medication in the UK prison service for people with sexual convictions. KH is employed by HMPPS.
Similar articles
-
Pharmacological interventions for those who have sexually offended or are at risk of offending.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Feb 18;2015(2):CD007989. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007989.pub2. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015. PMID: 25692326 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Sex Offender Treatment Programs Delivered In-Person or Virtually for Adults Convicted of Sexual Offences in Various Settings: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines [Internet].Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2020 Aug 10. Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2020 Aug 10. PMID: 33332066 Free Books & Documents. Review.
-
[Assessment of a new law for sex offenders implemented in France in 1998].Encephale. 2012 Apr;38(2):133-40. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2011.06.003. Epub 2011 Aug 31. Encephale. 2012. PMID: 22516271 French.
-
The content of sexual fantasies for sexual offenders.Sex Abuse. 2004 Oct;16(4):315-31. doi: 10.1177/107906320401600405. Sex Abuse. 2004. PMID: 15560414
-
Self-reported motivations for offending by autistic sexual offenders.Autism. 2020 Feb;24(2):307-320. doi: 10.1177/1362361319858860. Epub 2019 Jun 28. Autism. 2020. PMID: 31250659
References
-
- Annison H. Tracing the Gordian knot: Indeterminate-sentenced prisoners and the pathologies of English penal politics. Political Quarterly. 2018;89:197–205. doi: 10.1111/1467-923X.12462. - DOI
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical
Research Materials
Miscellaneous