Steroids - Usage Trends

Usage Trends

From 2002 to 2004, the number of teenagers reporting steroid use in the MTF survey declined overall, but the statistics can be misleading. Eighth- and tenth-grade respondents reported being more concerned about the health risks surrounding steroid use than older students. Use among twelfth-graders remained steady. A breakdown of the survey results showed a dramatic decrease in use among male seniors, from about 6 percent in 2002 to 4.4 percent in 2004. At the same time, however, the reported use of steroids by female seniors was nearly six times higher in 2004 than it was in 1991. This spike in usage among twelfth-grade girls made up for the drop in usage among twelfth-grade boys.

However, evidence shows that female users are not necessarily athletes. According to the 2005 MSNBC.com article "Girls Are Abusing Steroids Too, Experts Say," the Oregon Health and Science University found that about two out of every three high school girls in the state who said they had used steroids weren't looking for an athletic advantage. Instead, they just wanted to get thin. Members of the medical and health community are continuing their efforts to identify steroid abuse and to educate those who are at high risk for potential abuse.

It's Not about Getting High

Muscle dysmorphiaPronounced muh-SUL diss-MORE-fee-uh; a mental disorder leading to a desire for larger and larger muscles. is the scientific name for a disease that affects some teenagers and adults. The condition resembles anorexia nervosa (ah-nuh-REK-see-uh ner-VOE-sah), a severe eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight. People who have muscle dysmorphia are never satisfied with how muscular they appear. No matter how hard they train, they never feel "big enough." These individuals run a higher risk for steroid abuse because steroids build muscle rapidly.

Steroid abusers are very different from those who abuse other illegal drugs. For instance, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana users take the substances for an immediate "high," or rush of pleasurable feelings. (Entries for these three drugs are included in this encyclopedia.) Steroid users do not experience a high after taking pills or injecting the drug. They have different goals and may not notice the behavioral changes and compulsive behavior brought on by the drugs until their health is affected. In the meantime, they may spend many hundreds or thousands of dollars on illegal substances that have not been tested for strength or purity or safety.