Fact Sheet - Steroids

• Anabolic steroids are used by doctors to treat conditions that occur when the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence, and also to treat body wasting in patients with AIDS and other diseases.

• Anabolic steroids are legally available in the United States only by prescription. Anabolic steroid abusers obtain drugs that have been made in clandestine laboratories (sometimes with poor quality control standards), smuggled from other countries, or diverted illegally from U.S. pharmacies.

• Anabolic steroid abuse is increasing among adolescents, and most rapidly among females.

• Anabolic steroid abuse is motivated in most cases by a desire to build muscles and improve sports performance. Some individuals are motivated by erroneous perceptions of their own bodies (that is, a mistaken belief that they look underweight or obese.)

• The doses used by abusers of anabolic steroids are up to 100 times higher than the doses normally used for treating medical conditions.

• Anabolic steroid abuse in adolescents of both sexes causes premature termination of the adolescent growth spurt, so that for the rest of their lives, abusers remain shorter than they would have been without the drugs.

• Scientific research shows that aggression and other psychiatric side effects may result from use of anabolic steroids.

• Many anabolic steroid users report feeling good about themselves while on the drugs, but researchers report that extreme mood swings also can occur, including manic-like symptoms leading to violence.

• Long-term use of anabolic steroids can increase the risk of getting liver cancer.

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