Treatment of sexual offenses by persons with developmental disabilities.

Sexual offenses, particularly paraphilias, although infrequent, are committed by people with mental retardation. Their management poses clinical and ethical dilemmas. Available treatments were reviewed, especially the literature on the most effective agent, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). A case history was presented of a young man with mild mental retardation who was successfully treated with MPA. The role of antiandrogen treatments of paraphilias among the mentally retarded population includes a consideration of informed consent and ethical aspects of treatment.