Drugs - Steroids

By Jerry Price - Mar 13, 2006

“Currently, there are more than 100 different types of anabolic steroids that have been developed, and each requires a prescription to be used legally in the United States.

“Anabolic steroids can be taken orally, injected intramuscularly, or rubbed on the skin when in the form of gels or creams. These drugs are often used in patterns called cycling, which involves taking multiple doses of steroids over a specific period of time, stopping for a period, and starting again. Users also frequently combine several different types of steroids in a process known as stacking. By doing this, users believe that the different steroids will interact to produce an effect on muscle size that is greater than the effects of using each drug individually.

“Another mode of steroid use is ‘pyramiding.’ This is a process in which users slowly escalate steroid use (increasing the number of drugs used at one time and/or the dose and frequency of one or more steroids) reaching a peak amount at mid-cycle and gradually tapering the dose toward the end of the cycle.

“Regarding the ease by which one can obtain steroids, 19.7 percent of eighth graders, 29.6 percent of tenth graders, and 42.6 percent of twelfth graders surveyed in 2004 reported that steroids were ‘fairly easy’ or ‘very easy’ to obtain. During 2004, 55.7 percent of twelfth graders surveyed reported that using steroids was a ‘great risk.’

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also conducts a survey of high school students throughout the United States, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). 6.1 percent of all high school students surveyed by CDC in 2003 reported lifetime use of steroid pills/shots without a doctor’s prescription. 7.1 percent of ninth graders, 6.1 percent of tenth graders, 5.6 percent of eleventh graders, and 4.9 percent of twelfth graders reported lifetime illegal use of steroids.

During 2003, 1.8 percent of young adults (ages 19-28) reported using steroids at least once during their lifetimes, 0.5 percent reported past year steroid use, and 0.2 percent reported past month steroid use.”

Drug Facts: Steroids (Office of National Drug Control Policy) [Accessed October 31, 2005]

“Over the past decade, anabolic steroid abuse became a national concern. These drugs are used illicitly by weight lifters, body builders, long distance runners, cyclists, and others who claim that these drugs give them a competitive advantage and/or improve their physical appearance.

“Overall youth steroid use remains alarmingly high. According to the 1999 Monitoring the Future Study, the percentage of eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders who reported using steroids at least once in their lives has increased steadily over the past four years (an average of 1.8 percent in 1996, 2.1 percent in 1997, 2.3 percent in 1998, and 2.8 percent in 1999).

“The truth is . . . the use of steroids is a growing problem among today’s teenagers, who among other things get a large portion of their misunderstood information from the fitness industry and ‘muscle magazines’. While it is evident that there exists a growing use of steroids, there most definitely is no indication that the issue is going to fade away without some kind of intervention. It should be noted that there are many obvious risks and side effects from teen steroid abuse.

“Several of these side effects include:

  • Sterility
  • Premature ossification (closing over) of growth plates in long bones (stunted growth)
  • Aggressiveness
  • Acne
  • Connective tissue injury—irreversible
  • Masculinization (among women)

What Steroids Can Do For You Steroids and Teens, (Cool Nurse) [Accessed November 1, 2005]

Further Learning

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