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There are many uses for Anabolic-androgenic steroids or AAS in today’s society. Believe it or not throughout the medical fields it is used as a REHABILITATION drug. They are given to Cancer and AIDS patients to increase appetite and strengthen muscle. The medical uses are not the problem though, like many other drugs the problems occur when people start abusing them. Anabolic steroids are a synthetic version of the male sex hormone testosterone. The non-synthetic version of the hormone is genetically found in both males and females bodies but when an excessive amount of anything is put into the human body they are many different side effects, and for the most part they cause major health issues.

Invincible! Or atleast he thought he was...

            Anabolic-androgenic steroids are either injected as a liquid or taken orally either in liquid or pill form. The reason for taking this drug is to build and increase muscle mass quickly, increase performance from the athletics aspect, as well as improve physical appearance. Despite the few perks that actually come along with taking steroids come a lifetime of problems. Short-term effects include liver damage, jaundice (better known as yellowing of the skin and eyes), water retention, rapid weight gain, uncontrollable acne and high blood pressure. Some users may also get a feeling of INVINCIBILITY which leads to poor decisions and injuries, violent behavior and aggression also known as “Roid Rage”, depression, mood swings, irritability, paranoia and manic episodes also may occur in many users. Steroids can cause you to not act like yourself and can even lead to you injuring yourself but others as well.  Not only does abusing this drug cause terrible short-term effects the long term effects are even worse and for the most part irreversible.

Interestingly enough, This is supposed to be a woman

The long-term effects of Anabolic steroids do vary from male to female, but for the most part the fatal effects are the same no matter whether the user is male or female. Long-term effects for males include shrinking testicles; reduced sperm count, which could lead to infertility, premature baldness, as well as a development of breasts. Women have different side effects to Anabolic steroids. This is because females do have testosterone in their bodies but in small doses. When large amounts of steroids are injected into a female’s body they have increased growth of facial hair, male-pattern baldness, changes or stop of menstrual cycle, and even a deepened voice.  In both males and females their bodies’ change causing their age to be very deceiving, for the most part the Anabolic steroids cause them to appear much older then what they actually are. Steroids are not only prominent in adults but adolescents as well. Statistics show that 0.5% of eighth graders; about 1.0% of tenth graders and 1.5% of twelfth graders have already tried anabolic steroids at least once in their life so far. Health issues that come hand and hand with adolescents taking Anabolic steroids are stunted growth, accelerated puberty, and if the Anabolic steroids were taken before their main growth spurt they will most likely never reach their expected height. In all ages the illegal use of Anabolic steroids makes an individual more susceptible to cardio vascular disease, heart attacks as well as strokes. The users immune system is also weakened causing something as small as the common cold to turn into something much more sever.  Even though the side effects vary throughout age and sex in the end the effects are harmful to any users health.

            Not only do users have to worry about the health problems that the Anabolic steroids cause they also drastically increase their chances of contracting or transmitting HIV, AIDs, and Hepatitis. The risks of contracting these diseases are much higher in steroid users because many will use unsterile needles or even share needles to inject the steroids into their muscles.  Males also make themselves more prone to another deadly incurable disease known as prostate cancer. Even though these illnesses can be found in patients who have never used or experimented with steroids, taking them increases your chances.

            If you are meant to take steroids doctors can prescribe them but the ones that are not prescribed are illegal throughout the United States. Even though they may be illegal, that does not mean they are hard to get your hands on. Many Major League athletes have been caught using steroids to increase performance, they can also be found in many local gyms around the United States as well in many cases in college or even high school locker rooms. Even though in sports there are consequences and punishment after testing positive for Anabolic steroid usage the real damage has already been done. What people do not realize is that even tough the steroids may be “helping” you when you take them, after you stop taking them in the long run they are going to do nothing but hurt you.