fluids), fluid retention, high blood pressure, increases in LDL (bad cholesterol), and decreases in HDL (good cholesterol); others side effects include kidney tumors, severe acne, and trembling. In addition, there are some gender-specific side effects:For men - shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts, increased risk for prostate cancer. For women - growth of facial hair, male-pattern baldness, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle, enlargement of the clitoris, deepened voice. For adolescents - growth halted prematurely through premature skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty changes. This means that adolescents risk remaining short the remainder of their lives if they take anabolic steroids before the typical adolescent growth spurt. Scientific research also shows that aggression and other psychiatric side effects may result from abuse of anabolic steroids. Many users report feeling good about themselves while on anabolic steroids, but researchers report that extreme mood swings also can occur, including manic-like symptoms leading to violence. Depression often is seen when the drugs are stopped and may contribute to dependence on anabolic steroids. Researchers report also that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.Extent of UseMonitoring the Future Study (MTF)**MTF assesses drug use among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders nationwide, and has been conducted annually since 1975. Because of growing professional and public concern over the abuse of anabolic steroids by adolescents and young adults, questions regarding anabolic steroid use were added to the MTF in 1989 to afford a better understanding of the extent of the problem. Between 1989 and 1999, lifetime** prevalence of anabolic steroid use among 12th graders fluctuated between a 3 percent high in 1989 and a 1.9 percent low ...
