By: Sean Kilcoyne

Steroids
What are Steroids?
• There are two main types of steroids: Corticosteroids
and anabolic steroids
• Corticosteroids are medicines that help fight rapid
inflammation
• Corticosteroids can be taken in pill, liquid, inhaler, shot
or creme forms
• Anabolic steroids are man-made testosterones that help
build muscle mass
• Anabolic steroids are taken in shot or pill form by mouth
Benefits of Steroid Use

Can be used to aid health in:

• Delayed puberty
• Cancer
• HIV/AIDS
by boosting testosterone levels artificially
Health Issues associated with Steroids
The recreational use of steroids can cause:

• Higher risk of prostate cancer in men

• Kidney impairment or failure
• Liver damage
• Increased risk of heart attack or stroke
• Increased risk of blood clots
• If steroids are injected, users are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS or
hepatitis
Side Effects

• Stunted growth
• Mood changes
• Growth of breast tissue in men users
• Reduction in sperm count
• Increased body hair growth in women users
• Insomnia
• Delusion
• Acne
• Male pattern baldness, permanently deepened voice,
breast shrinking, and changes to menstrual cycle in
teenage girl users

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Steroids and Sports
• Steroids are prevalent in almost all collegiate and professional sports
• Steroid/PED regulations are implemented as a major part of drug abuse
programs in each of the 4 major American sports on professional and
college levels
• Many players in each major sport have admitted to steroid/PED use as a
method of recovering from major injuries, increasing their chances of
becoming professionals or to further their athletic ability
• The great debate in sports involving steroids is how to combat player usage,
potential penalties for failed PED tests, and if there should be any legal
cases in which steroid usage should be allowed within sports
• In the MLB, the “steroid era” between 1990-2006 saw many prominent
potential Hall of Famer’s admit to steroid usage in front of high level court
rooms which included many high profile players such as Barry Bonds, Mark
McGuire, Rafael Palmeiro, Rodger Clemens, Jason Giambi and many others
Interesting Steroid Facts
• One of the most serious withdrawal symptoms is depression,
which can lead to suicide attempts
• Health care providers can prescribe steroids to treat various
medical conditions
• When people misuse steroids they could be taking from 10 to 100
times higher doses than doses prescribed to treat medical
conditions
• A program has been developed for both male and female high
school sport teams for coaches to enforce the danger in using
steroids, so far steroid use has decreased by 50% on these sports
teams
• Some street names of steroids include: Juice, Gym Candy, Pumpers
and Roids
 Quote

“Steroids can seem necessary to compete at the highest levels,

and the quick rewards can outweigh the long term
consequences to the user's health.” – Howard Berman
Discussion Question
Many of the heated debates regarding steroids involve the use of
the Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) in professional sports. Do
you:

1. Believe professional athletes should be able to use steroids

or other PED’s in any capacity such as injury recovery?
2. Think professional athletes should face greater
repercussions for PED use than typical fines and
suspensions for first time failed drug tests such as being
banned from pro leagues?
References
ADAMHS. (n.d.). Facts about Steroids. Retrieved from
http://adamhscc.org/en-US/facts-steroids.aspx
DoSomething.org. (n.d.). 11 Facts About Steroids. Retrieved from
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-steroids
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018, July 02). Commonly Abused
Drugs Charts. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-
abuse/commonly-abused-drugs-charts
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018, August). Anabolic Steroids.
Retrieved from
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/anabolic-steroids
USADA. (n.d.). Effects of Performance-Enhancing Drugs | USADA.
Retrieved from https://www.usada.org/substances/effects-of-
performance-enhancing-drugs/