Steroids

Once viewed as a problem strictly associated with body builders, fitness "buffs," and professional athletes, the abuse of steroids is prevalent in today’s society.

This is an alarming problem because of increased abuse over the years, and the ready availability of steroids and steroid related products.

The problem is widespread throughout society including school-age children, athletes, fitness "buffs," business professionals, etc. 

Teenagers are the leading group of steroid users due to body appearance – 1/3 are not athletes

Both males and females abuse steroids. 

Simply Put: Synthetically produced variants of the naturally occurring male hormone testosterone.

Both males and females have testosterone produced in their bodies: males in the testes, and females in the ovaries and other tissues.

The full name for this class of drugs is androgenic (promoting masculine characteristics)anabolic (tissue building) steroids (the class of drugs)

refers to the physical changes experienced by a male during puberty, in the course of development to manhood

males and females have similar effects 

This property is responsible for the majority of the side effects of steroid use.

refers to promoting of anabolism, the actual building of tissues, mainly muscle, accomplished by the promotion of protein synthesis.