According to MedlinePlus, anabolic steroids are synthetic substances that mimic the effects of the naturally occurring male sex hormone called testosterone. Testosterone is a hormone that brings about male secondary characteristics and also works to sustain these characteristics throughout the rest of the male’s natural life. Steroids can be used to treat illnesses such as asthma and lupus, but a lot of athletes and body builders use them to enhance their performance and build muscles.
Breast Growth and Shrinking of Testicles
According to Medline Plus, two of the dangers of steroids in men are breast growth and shrinking of testicles. The abnormal growth of breasts in men is also known as gynecomastia. Excessive use of steroids also leads to the shrinking of the male’s testes that function to produce sperm. This leads to a reduction in sperm production and sometimes infertility.
Voice Deepening and Hair Growth in Women
MedlinePlus says voice deepening and hair growth are some of the dangers of steroid use by women. Steroids are responsible for giving men the secondary sexual characteristic of having a deep voice and more hair on their chest, face and armpits. The same effects occur on women when under treatment with steroids. In addition to just having hair growing on their face and chest, some female patients experience male pattern baldness, leaving them with little or no hair on their scalps.
Stunted Growth
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, one of the dangers of steroids in adolescents is stunted growth. This is due to steroids' effect on bone growth. Stunted growth is described as the incomplete growth of the body to the size that it was originally on course to reaching.
