Now we all see on our televisions and in the news paper that every year more and more athletes are being tested and found guilty for their steroid use. As communities we post these images and write in huge letters on the front page of news papers around the world screaming out the news that another superstar athlete has been convicted of steroid use. The nation does not understand that the youth and adolescents of America are seeing, hearing, and talking about the same things we put in the daily news. They know exactly what is going on and it’s practically impossible to shield them from these anabolic steroids that are on the streets of America daily. My question to America is if these drugs are so bad then why do we fantasize in the media of being bigger and faster and stronger? We are corrupting our youth and taking years of their lives by shoving good or bad messages in their face because either way the message of steroid use is present. Especially at a pivotal age of adolescence the youth can become confused thinking steroids are cool and being small and weak are not. “It was found that the use of illicit steroid even extends to children and young adolescents aged 9 to 13 (Faigenbaum et al., 1998).” It is absolutely terrifying to think of our youth and know that even 9 year olds are able to get a hold of and use AAS. The author Ihsan believes AAS are not only addicting but there is a strong link between AAS use and dependence. The nation seems to be worried about the superstar athletes that are using steroids when really we should look at the source of the problem which would be the adolescents trying steroids. “Nineteen of 28 key informants say that, education is still the most effective means of deterring steroid use among junior and senior high school students”. This idea of trying steroids as an adolescent can need to lifetime use and ultimately could lead to serious health problems.

          Other factors in an adolescences life can lead them to try steroids almost like any other drug in the world. Certain drugs can be gateway drugs to steroids and also the environment in which the youth grows up in may explain some adolescent temptations in steroid use. “AAS users were found to experience more social problems compared to other people. For example, the higher the negative experience in school, the higher the chances of AAS use for individuals (Kindlundh et al., 2001).” Personally I can see how a neglected social life in school could possibly lead to steroid use because of the adolescence that try to fill the void or flaw they have with steroids. Steroids can transform one’s body in extraordinary ways and let’s say a male 16 year old is the youngest in his class along with the weakest. If he is made fun of constantly for his size I believe he is much more likely to try/use steroids to change the way he is viewed by his peers. The term acceptance comes in mind when I think of adolescence trying AAS because the world today is never the way people want it to be so we as a people try to mold ourselves to be the best starting at a young age. Along with social problems Ihsan also found that “Disconnectedness with family was also more experienced by AAS users compared to the non users, and AAS users were found to experience physical or mental abuse in their childhood.” Here is a perfect example of when a child grows up in an environment where he is not naturally accepted. The child will need to find a way to help himself feel better while also being able to feel safe. For example in a home where children are hit as a punishment may cause physical or mental damage which correlates to the use of or experimental stages of steroids.

             Now that we have looked a bit deeper into the reasons why adolescents use or starting to use steroids let‘s look at some of the statistics behind adolescent steroid use. According to the Department of Health and Human Services on Adolescent Steroid Use “NIDA reported that 56 percent of male users first tried steroids by 10^th grade (age 15 to 16) or younger”.  The (NIDA) stands for the national institution of drug abuse and their findings reflect that steroid users start at a young age. Although reasons for starting a steroid cycle may be different from one user to the next the majority of steroid users decide to continue steroid use after just their first cycle. “Twenty-six key informants (87%) predict that an adolescent user who completes one 6-week steroid cycle is likely to go on to use for 5 cycles or more.” In a life time 5 cycles may actually not seem to be that much but many researchers consider 5 cycles the beginning of “heavy” steroid use. Being considered a “heavy” user of steroids at such a young age can lead to a lifetime of difficulties. Adolescents see steroids as a quick fix to be accepted by their peers through their appearance but don’t take into consideration the long term effects steroids can have on the body. “Twenty-seven of 30 key informants believe that adolescents who take steroids, as opposed to adults, are at special risk for adverse results. Twenty say they are most worried about stunted growth and adverse psychological effects including dependence.” Adult’s bodies are fully developed compared to a teenager who is still going through puberty and growth cycles. Adolescents is a pivotal age in a person’s life and pumping their body with testosterone can permanently affect how their body will develop over time. Psychologically adolescents can become almost addicted with the results they are seeing from steroids that steroid use can become the norm in their everyday life routines.    

                    From another case study of adolescents using steroids scientist found similar physical and psychological problems co-existing with steroid use. “Scientists have identified a series of physical and psychological risks associated with AAS use, including heart and liver ailments, alteration of the genitalia, gynecomastia (development of breast tissue in men), depressed mood, and increased thoughts of suicide”. AAS use is the beginning of a world of problems and it seems that adolescents are most affected by side effects that are carried along with the drug use. Some of the side effects are visibly apparent however the deadliest side effects are hidden to the naked eye and even friends or family may have trouble identifying them. “Additionally, in terms of risk perceptions, those in minority populations often estimate greater levels of risk associated with drug use and hazardous behaviors”. To try and fit in minorities may be more apt to try drugs to relate to the people around them. This is why the use of steroids or other drugs can turn into a gateway of drug use because of easy accessibility to the users. When someone is able to find steroids on the street they can usually find other drugs from their dealers. “Furthermore, quitting steroid use does not appear likely for many current users: most have no definite plans to stop using steroids (86%), many would not stop even if others do (78%), and they wouldn’t stop use even if they were convinced steroids are really bad for their health (38%).” When 38% of steroid users would continue steroid use even when they fully understand how dangerous they are to their health you can see how addictive they can be. Steroid users depend on them to make themselves feel better and if they don’t have them they don’t feel like themselves. This is why it is critical that we educate our adolescents of the risks involved with steroids because once you are hooked it is more likely than not that you will continue use your whole lifetime.