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Recent research shows that as many as 5.3% of female high school students admit to prior or ongoing steroid use. Among non-athletes, those who participate in other health compromising behaviors such as drug or alcohol use or eating disorders are most likely to try steroids. Those athletes who admit to steroid use are most likely to be involved in competitive sports such as body building or gymnastics. Interestingly enough, those who use steroids tend to overestimate the prevalence of steroid use among peers, making it seem as if this drug is both commonly used and even safe.
Why would an adolescent who is excelling in sports try an illegal and harmful substance? If your child is an athlete, she may be under considerable pressure from coaches, teammates - and even you - to succeed. She may also feel pressure from within to bulk up her body to become more competitive or to move beyond a plateau in her training. It's no wonder that some female athletes turn to performance-enhancing substances such as anabolic-androgenic steroids.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids (often called anabolic steroids or simply steroids) are man-made substances similar to the male sex hormone testosterone. Like testosterone, steroids cause development of muscles and loss of body fat, which is why they are called "anabolic". "Androgenic" refers to the ability of steroids to cause increased masculine characteristics.
Those who use steroids typically do so in "cycles" of use, meaning that the drug is used over a short period of time (generally 6-12 weeks) in increasing then decreasing dosages. Many steroid users "stack" the drug, too, meaning that they use several types of steroids in combination to increase the effects. Steroids are used either orally or by injection; some common names of those used are anadrol, oxandrin, dianabol, winstrol, deca-durabolin and equipoise.
You can reduce the likelihood that your child will use steroids by educating yourself about this issue and talking to your child about the dangers involved with using steroids. Some important things to point out:
Worried that your teenage athlete may be a compulsive exerciser or engaging in other unhealthy actions to control her weight? Visit the Eating Disorders Help Guide for an informative article on Compulsive Exercisers and the Female Athlete Triad.