"Chemical castration is the administration of medication
designed to reduce libido and sexual activity. Unlike
surgical castration, where the testicles or ovaries are
removed through an incision in the body, chemical
castration does not actually castrate the person, 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 Depo Provera. Chemical castration has, from
time to time, been used as an instrument of public
and/or judicial policy despite concerns over human
rights and possible side effects."
"In the United Kingdom, computer scientist Alan Turing,
famous for his contributions to mathematics and computer
science, was a homosexual who chose to undergo chemical
castration in order to avoid imprisonment in 1952. At
the time, homosexuality was still illegal and
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 has cast doubt on this result. In 2009, the
then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, issued a
public apology for the British government's "appalling"
actions, after an online petition seeking the same
gained 30,000 signatures and international recognition."
"Alan Turing, the British mathematical genius and
codebreaker born 100 years ago on 23 June, may not have
committed suicide, as is widely believed.
Turing expert Prof Jack Copeland has questioned the
evidence that was presented at the 1954 inquest.
He believes the evidence would not today be accepted as
sufficient to establish a suicide verdict."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_castration#Europe
Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18561092?print...
Edit: Added last portion.