What are Steroids and Why Do We Misuse Them?
What are steroids?
Steroids are synthetic drugs resembling the hormones made in our bodies. Corticosteroids and anabolic-androgenic steroids are the main types of steroids.
Corticosteroids are used to decrease inflammation in our bodies. An example of a corticosteroid is the fluticasone nasal spray, which is used to inhibit inflammation caused by allergies or to treat nasal polyps.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids are the most commonly misused type of steroids and APEDs (Appearance and Performance Enhancing Drugs). These steroids act similar to testosterone, thus helping to build muscle mass, increase strength and promote the development of other male sexual characteristics. Doctors prescribe anabolic-androgenic steroids to treat certain conditions, including anemia and abnormally low testosterone levels in men. An example of an AAS is oxymetholone, which is used to treat anemia by increasing the amount of erythropoietin involved in erythrocyte production.
How are AAS harmful short term and long term?
Besides all the negative short term effects of AAS use, including acne, mood swings and water retention, long-term use of AAS can cause organ damage, addiction, infertility in men and facial hair growth in women among many other abnormalities. They are especially dangerous for teens due to affecting mental development.
Who uses anabolic steroids and why?
Some athletes, weightlifters and bodybuilders use excessive amounts of AAS in order to increase their strength and endurance by building muscle mass. These drugs are a fast and easy way to enhance performance and become more competitive in sports, which is what motivates athletes to use them.
Another group of people who misuse steroids are non-athlete men with psychological issues, including poor self-esteem and body dysmorphic disorder. They usually take steroids for cosmetic reasons.
Based on a study in 2007 college men were 10 times more likely to use non-medical anabolic steroids than women. Only 2 out of 1000 college women reported NMAS use in their lifetime. This study also showed that lifetime NMAS was most prevalent among US college students, who were male, married, older than 23 years of age, and/or involved in athletics.
Lifetime NMAS use is significantly associated with other risky behaviors including smoking, alcohol and illicit drug use.
Distribution of race/ethnicity from another study, demonstrates that the overwhelming majority of AAS users are Caucasioan/White. A majority of AAS users had never been married and did not have children.
The most common starting age of AAAS users seems to be between 20 to 24 year olds.
The most common motivation of AAS use based on one survey study are increased muscle mass, increased strength, better appearance, increased confidence and decreased fat.
Further studies
New survey-type studies on representative samples will be required to estimate more precisely the groups of people who use steroids and identify their motivation. Survey results along with demographics should be considered together for more accurate conclusions.
References
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ss/slideshow-steroids-101
https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a695002.html
https://www.webmd.com/men/anabolic-steroids#1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3385914/
https://www.medicinenet.com/oxymetholone-oral/article.htm
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17512138/
