Side of Effects of Steroid Use
*WARNING some of these images are explicit
Female Specific Side Effects
Teens typically use steroids to get buff, or try and get an athletic edge. What they don’t take into account is the Pandora’s Box that they open when using steroids. Anyone who uses, or is considering using steroids, needs to take into account the potential hazards that come with the drugs, including:
- Severe acne (especially on the back and chest);
- Hair loss;
- Infertility;
- Liver disease, including tumors and cancer;
- Aggressive behavior;
- Testicular atrophy;
- Jaundice;
- Psychological addiction;
- Depression;
- Insomnia;
- Arteriosclerosis (thickening of arteries interferes with blood circulation);
- Heart disease
- Permanent stunting of growth;
- Gynecomastia – also known by steroid users as “bitch tits” (feminization of males including breast swelling);
- Stretch marks and skin fissures;
- Gastrointestinal Symptoms (including diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting);
- High blood pressure;
- Kidney damage – kidneys are the filters for the human body, and steroid use puts them under a great deal more strain;
- The danger from shared needles and possible exposure to such diseases as HIV, hepatitis and bacterial infections;
- The potential of steroids being a so-called “gateway” drug;
- Wear and tear of tendons and ligaments (steroid usage allows individuals to train harder and exceed the normal limitations of the body, often resulting in “break-downs”);
- The health dangers associated with counterfeit or black market steroids made by “cowboy chemists” that have resulted in a host of ailments;
Specific to Females
- Virilization (becoming more masculine) of females, with such symptoms as excessive face and body hair, changes in vocalization (some women experience a deepening of the voice which is irreversible), suppression of menses; decreased breast size; and enlargement of the clitoris;