Anabolic-androgenic steroids are synthetic drugs that are chemically related to the male sex hormone testosterone. Anabolic steroids are legal when there is a medical need to stimulate bone growth, increase appetite, induce male puberty or treat severe weight loss in cancer and AIDS patients. These steroids are used illegally to increase muscle mass and athletic performance by both males and females. Illegal use of anabolic steroids can have negative health effects.
Reproductive and Sexual Health
Taking illegal steroids can affect reproductive health. According to the University of Maryland's Center for Substance Abuse Research, short-term reproductive effects include reduced sperm count, impotence, pain during urination, breast reduction in women and excessive hair growth in women. Long-term effects of steroid use include the development of breasts in men, reduced sexual functioning, shrinking of the testicles and an enlarged clitoris in women. In 2004 the journal Sports Medicine reported that anabolic steroids can lower natural production of sex hormones with 24 hours of the first use. The research also stated that repeated use can lead to male infertility within months. In addition, with long-term use, males may develop such significant breast tissue that surgical reduction is the only viable option. Women taking steroids may experience hair loss on the head as well as irregular menstrual cycles.
Psychological Effects
Taking illegal anabolic steroids has been linked to psychological effects. The most common changes include aggression, irritability, mood swings and increased potential for physical violence. This effect has come to be called "'roid rage." In the June 2010 issue of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, researchers reported several dose-dependent adverse neuropsychiatric effects of steroid use. These included manic-like presentations such as irritability, euphoria, grandiose beliefs, hyperactivity, and reckless and dangerous behavior. Users may also experience paranoid jealousy, delusions, feelings of invincibility, acute psychosis, exacerbation of tics, and even suicidal thoughts and actions. In the 2010 report, 23 percent of anabolic steroid users developed clinical criteria for a major mood syndrome. The development of muscle dysmorphia is another negative outcome of steroid use. In this condition, sufferers become obsessed that their body is not muscular enough, leading to excessive body building, spending predominant time in the gym and using more and more steroids. Dependence is another possible side effect, due to the depression, fatigue and emotional dysfunction during withdrawal that can last weeks or even months, depending on dose and duration of use.
Other Physical Effects
In the September 2005 issue of Toxicology Letters, researchers reported that steroids can significantly damage the cardiovascular system and kidneys, impair liver function, cause severe acne, prompt baldness and increase susceptibility to hepatitis and HIV due to sharing of steroid injection syringes. Heart problems are even more expansive with illegal steroid use. Users can develop dangerously high levels of cholesterol, rapid heart rate, stroke, blood clots and tissue damage. Excessive muscle mass can also put a large workload on the kidneys and in some cases can lead to severe kidney damage.
References
- University of Maryland-Center for Substance Abuse Research: Anabolic Steroids
- "Sports Medicine"; Effects of Androgenic-Anabolic Steroids in Athletes; Fred Hartgens and Harm Kuipers; Issue 8, 2004
- "Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology"; Adverse Health Effects of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids; Jan van Amsterdan, et al.; June 2010
- "Toxicology Letters"; Adverse Effects of Anabolic Steroids in Athletes: A constant threat; Costas Maravelias, et al.; September 2005
- "Journal of the American Society of Nephrology"; Development of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis after Anabolic Steroid Abuse; Leal Herlitz, et al.; September 2009
