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    Main content

    Steroids

    Anabolic steroids are any drug or hormonal substance chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone. They are taken to promote muscle growth.

    • Sobering Statistics
    • Street Names
    • How are they taken?
    • What are the effects?
    • What are the dangers?

    Sobering Statistics

    Five to 12 percent of male high school students and 1 percent of female students have used anabolic steroids by the time they are seniors.
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    Street Names

    • "roids"
    • "stackers"

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    How are they taken?

    • Steroids are taken orally or injected into the muscle.
    • Users take steroids on a schedule known as a cycle, in which they "stack" or take two or more different anabolic steroids or "pyramid" their doses, taking a low dose at the beginning of the cycle then slowly increasing the dose.

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    What are the effects?

    When used in combination with exercise training and a high protein diet, anabolic steroids can:

    • Promote increased size and strength of muscles.
    • Improve endurance.
    • Decrease recovery time between workouts.
    However, there are also several negative side effects from using steroids.

    Physical side effects for both males and females include:
    • Elevated blood pressure.
    • Elevated cholesterol levels.
    • Severe acne.
    • Premature balding.
    • Reduced sexual function.
    Physical side effects for males include:
    • Abnormal breast development.
    • Shrinking of the testicles.
    • Infertility.
    Physical side effects for females include:
    • More body hair.
    • Deeper voice.
    • Smaller breasts.
    • Fewer menstrual cycles.

    Additional physical side effects in adolescents:
    • Stunted growth.

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    What are the dangers?

    Serious health problems include damage to the:

    • Cardiovascular system.
    • Liver.
    • Reproductive organs.


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    Muscular shoulders
    Sources:
    Below are links PAMF accessed when researching this topic. PAMF does not sponsor or endorse any of these sites, nor does PAMF guarantee the accuracy of the information contained on them.

    NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

    NIDA InfoFacts: Steroids. National Institute on Drug Abuse.


    Street Terms: Steroids. Office of National Drug Control Policy.

    Anabolic Steroids and Young Adults(English and Spanish .pdf), The Hormone Foundation.

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