Why do women take steroids?

There are many reasons why a woman begins using anabolic steroids.

Some women believe this will help bring equality to the genders. If women can compete on the same playing field as men then women deserve to be treated as equals. But they believe women can't possibly be contenders with what they were born with. Other women do it for personal gain. They use their body to compete in body-building competitions and this is how they make their money. Some are athletes or even Olympians who compete in professional sports to provide for their family. In these 2 instances, you have to be the best or someone stronger and faster than you will take your place. A few woman have a behavioral syndrome known as muscle dysmorphia where they have a distorted image of their body. They look in the mirror and think "I'm so fat" when in actuality they are in top physical condition. A more serious issue is those women who are using because they feel like they need to protect themselves. Usually these women have experienced physical or sexual abuse whether in their childhood or in a recent relationship. Twice as many women do it because they have been raped and believe "that being bigger and stronger would discourage further attacks because men would find them either intimidating or unattractive . Women using anabolic steroids justify the use by believing these drugs are necessary to win, the side effects, though sometimes undesirable, are acceptable to them and their friends.

Steroids & Pregnancy

Pregnant woman using steroids can do much damage to her unborn child causing growth retardation of her fetus and pseudohermanphroditism (a person having both male and female physical body and character traits, can be affected anatomically as well). Infertility can result from an extended period of anabolic steroid use. Other negative side effects include bad breath, water retention, muscle cramps, achy joints, nose bleeds, and insomnia.

More Possible Side Effects

Taking anabolic steroids increases a woman's risk of cardiovascular disease, liver disease, kidney disease and cancer, a weakened immune system, osteoporosis, and possible HIV and Hepatitis B and/ or C from contaminated needles.Anabolic steroid use may even lead to fetal death. However, these side effects have not been studied systematically. It is likely that the severity of the side effects is related to the dosage, duration of use and the type of the drug.

Side effects of anabolic steroids specifically in women are acne, hair loss, withdrawal of the frontal hair line, male pattern boldness, lowering of the voice, increased facial hair growth, and breast atrophy. The lowering of the voice, decreased breast size, clitoris hypertrophy and hair loss are generally irreversible. Females using AS may develop masculine facial traits, male muscularity, and coarsening of the skin. When anabolic steroids are administered in growing children side effects include virilization, gynecomastia, and premature closure of the epiphysis, resulting in cessation of longitudinal growth.

Women Who Are Considering Anabolic Steroid Usage 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 studies 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.