VI. What is steroid abuse?
“The unwanted consequences of anabolic steroid abuse are most damaging in females (Wu FC; 1997).” For all these reasons (mentioned above) and more, women use anabolic steroids. There is a clear difference though between using them and abusing them. “It has been estimated that hundreds of thousands of people aged 18 and older abuse anabolic steroids at least once a year http://www.nida.nih.gov ).” And steroid abuse is growing most rapidly among young women. Abuse of these substances primarily occurs in the younger population where long term effects could manifest during aging process (Hughes et al.; 1998 ). As mentioned earlier, side effects are directly related to the dosage, duration of use, and the type of steroid being taken. Like prescriptions and medications, steroids too come with directions on proper use. A woman who uses steroids is running a risk already, but when the doses are increased and they become more frequent, she is shooting herself in the foot. By developing her own directions for steroids, her chances of suffering the worst case scenarios have risen. Abuse is real. A woman can become dependent on steroids and not even realize it until she is suffering from withdrawal. Usually the aggression known to follow steroid use is a sign of this dependence. Steroids are like any other addictive drug. A woman builds a tolerance and it takes more and more to see the results she wants. Again, with the increased dose she has increased her chances of experiencing the worst side effects of using, some that will remind her of what she has done for the rest of her life.
VII. Conclusion
In conclusion, the question to use or not to use is a personal one. Its answer though should be preceded by talking to a doctor, a trainer, a nutritionist, and even an user of steroids. Any woman considering taking anabolic steroids should first consider what she might be giving up- the look and feel of a woman, breasts, mental stability, and even giving birth to a healthy baby someday. Do the research and know the facts before you dive into something you know is unfamiliar. It is apparent, though, that anabolic steroids and affects in women is limited to very few journals. Information concerning the legitimate adverse physical and behavioral effects of steroids is often inaccurate and wildly speculative. And how can a woman possibly compare her body to that of a man’s and the research conducted on male users. In some instances there are no grounds for comparison. This process for conducting female targeted studied is a difficult one. Compared to men, women are very new to the steroid scene. Weak research design, inadequate instrumentation and measurement, small sample sizes, and inadequate control and placebo groups complicate the studies. Most researchers will define the research they’ve conducted on the issue of women and the use of steroids by one word- inconclusive. This then should tell women of the world considering using anabolic steroids that using does run the risk of being very dangerous because not enough research has been done therefore not enough information is known to say whether or not steroids are harmful or even fatal in women. Deciding to use anabolic steroids is a decision that could affect a woman for the rest of her life and the only stupid question is the one that goes unasked. Hopefully, this report got you started on the right track.
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