Physical Appearance and the Use of Steroids

Physical Appearance and the Use of Steroids
It is hard to deny the fact that a good body will get you more attention. Women have always wanted the perfect body and would do just about anything to get it. These days, women are not the only ones concerned with their image. Studies have shown that more and more men are worrying about their appearance, especially because of peer pressure. However, there are fewer things for men to do in order to get well built, muscular bodies. This means that in many cases, men must turn to steroids. Steroids are a very dangerous drug, with many terrible side effects (InfoFacts).
There are many different kinds of steroids; the most popular being anabolic steroids. When all is said and done, Anabolic-Androgenic steroids are pretty much nothing more than man-made testosterone. When they are used legally, which is for medical purposes, they are used to treat patients that have diseases which result in the loss of lean muscle mass. However, if you do not have one of these diseases and you use steroids, you are using them illegally. Getting caught using steroids carries some big penalties (InfoFacts).
In 1990, anabolic steroids were added to the federal schedule of controlled substances thanks to The Anabolic Steroid Control Act. This means that anyone caught using steroids for non-medical purposes are in some serious trouble. Being in possession of steroids can land you in jail along with having to pay a fine. The first time someone is convicted of possessing steroids, they can be jailed up to one year and fined one-thousand dollars. For the second conviction, someone could be jailed up to two years and fined two-thousand five-hundred dollars. If convicted three times, they can be jailed up to three years and fined five-thousand dollars. As if that was not enough, anyone caught with the intent to distribute steroids can be jailed up to five years and is subject to a two-hundred fifty-thousand dollar fine (Anabolic).
Studies have also shown that there are more and more people using steroids. They also show that most users are male. A "Monitoring the Future Survey" was conducted and showed the use of steroids among 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students. In the 8th grade, 4.6% of the students admitted to ever using steroids; in the 10th grade, 5.5% of the students admitted ever using steroids; and in the 12th grade, 6.9% of the students admitted ever using steroids (InfoFacts).
When it comes to being healthy, steroids are a step in the wrong direction. If you are looking for a healthy, great looking body, then do some real exercise. Do not take the shortcut, abuse some steroids, and build muscle with little effort. The list of side effects for steroids users is a big list. While effecting men and women differently, steroid use can lead to some serious health problems. Anabolic steroids can be taken orally or they can be injected (Facts and Stats.). Users who inject steroids are at greater risk for contracting HIV/AIDS and/or hepatitis, which causes severe liver damage (InfoFacts). The side effect list can be divided into three categories; short term physical effects, long term physical effects, and psychological effects. The short term side effects for men are shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, impotence, premature baldness, enlargement of the prostate gland, breast enlargement, and difficulty/pain in urinating.
The list for women contains growth of facial hair, change in/cessation of the menstrual cycle, deepening of the voice, enlargement of the clitoris, and breast reduction. The long term effects include increased cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and heart, kidney, and liver disease. The psychological list of effects includes irritability, severe mood swings, delusions, feelings of invincibility, and uncontrollable burst of anger, or "Roid Rage," (Collins).
As you can see, steroids are not something to be played around with. They come with some very bad side effects. These side effects are very serious and very damaging. The worst part is that most of them are permanent. Another bad thing that comes from steroids is the fact that they are illegal to posses, distribute, and use. The penalties for being caught with steroids are not worth it. It is hard to understand why people would want to use steroids and lessen the amount of work needed, just to improve the physical appearance. It seems like it would almost be better just to have a mediocre appearance and do a little more work than to have to deal with and live with all of those side effects.

Works Cited
Collins, Rick. The Anabolic Steroid Control Act: The Wrong Prescription?. 9 (2001).
InfoFacts – Steroids. March 2004. NIDA. 12 Feb. 2005 .
Physical and Psychological Risks of Anabolic Steroid Use. NCADI. 13 Feb. 2005 .
Steroids – Facts and Statisctics. 23 Jan. 2005. GDCADA. 13 Feb. 2005 .

Cited: Collins, Rick. The Anabolic Steroid Control Act: The Wrong Prescription?. 9 (2001). InfoFacts – Steroids. March 2004. NIDA. 12 Feb. 2005 . Physical and Psychological Risks of Anabolic Steroid Use. NCADI. 13 Feb. 2005 . Steroids – Facts and Statisctics. 23 Jan. 2005. GDCADA. 13 Feb. 2005 .