Anabolic Steroid Abuse

Regularly taking anabolic steroids causes a range of male features, not just increased muscle mass. It can also lead to potentially dangerous medical conditions, such as high blood pressure (hypertension) or heart attacks .

Physical effects

Effects of anabolic steroids in men can include:

• reduced sperm count
• infertility
• shrunken testicles
• erectile dysfunction
• baldness
• breast development
• increased risk of developing prostate cancer
• severe acne
• stomach pain

In women, anabolic steroids can cause:

• facial hair growth and body hair
• loss of breasts
• swelling of the clitoris
• a deepened voice
• an increased sex drive
• problems with periods
• hair loss
• severe acne

In addition, both men and women who take anabolic steroids can develop any of the following medical conditions:

• heart attack or stroke
• liver or kidney tumours
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• blood clots
• fluid retention
• high cholesterol

Psychological effects

Misusing anabolic steroids can also cause the following psychological or emotional effects:

• aggressive behaviour
• mood swings
• manic behaviour
• hallucinations and delusions

Stuntedgrowth in adolescents

Anabolic steroids accelerate bone growth, so if they're misused by adolescents who haven't yet had the growth spurt associated with puberty , the drugscan cause premature ageing of the bones and restricted growth .

Sharing needles

As anabolic steroids are often injected, there are risks associated with sharing needles. These are the same risks associated with recreational drug use, and include:

• damage to veins, leading to ulcers or gangrene
• hepatitis B infection
• hepatitis C infection
• HIV transmission