TY - JOUR T1 - Commentary: Risk/Benefit Ratio of Androgen Deprivation Treatment for Sex Offenders JF - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online JO - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law SP - 59 LP - 62 VL - 37 IS - 1 AU - Fred S. Berlin Y1 - 2009/03/01 UR - http://jaapl.org/content/37/1/59.abstract N2 - Androgen deprivation treatment (ADT) significantly lowers testosterone. That, in turn, can decrease sexual drive, facilitating better self-control and lower recidivism rates among sexually disordered offenders. Potential side effects can include: decreases in bone density; development of a metabolic syndrome involving weight gain, accompanied by changes in glucose and lipid metabolism; and rarely, depression. In the presence of a proper treatment protocol designed either to prevent or to minimize side effects, particularly the development of osteoporosis, the risks associated with ADT are generally within the same range as those associated with many other commonly prescribed psychotropic interventions. ER -