"Anabolic" refers to muscle-building, and "androgenic" refers to increased masculine

characteristics. "Steroids" refers to the class of drugs. These drugs are available legally only by

prescription, to treat conditions that occur when the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence. They are also prescribed to treat body wasting in patients with AIDS and other diseases that result in loss of lean muscle mass. Abuse of anabolic steroids, however, can lead to serious health problems, some irreversible.

Today, athletes and others abuse anabolic steroids to enhance performance and also to improve physical appearance. Anabolic steroids are taken orally or injected, typically in cycles of weeks or months (referred to as "cycling"), rather than continuously. Cycling involves taking multiple doses of steroids over a specific period of time, stopping for a period, and starting again. In addition, users often combine several different types of steroids to maximize their effectiveness while minimizing negative effects (referred to as "stacking").

Anabolic steroids are among the drugs that are abused not for intoxication or to achieve a high, but for other desired effects. "Anabolic" means muscle-building, and these steroids are available by prescription for a wide range of medical purposes, such as to treat anemia, osteoporosis, low testosterone levels, and loss of muscle mass from body-wasting diseases such as AIDS.

College and university students who abuse steroids generally are seeking performance-enhancing effects or to build muscle mass. Athletes are at particular risk for steroid abuse. Since a high is not the goal, in general these drugs are not taken spontaneously or recreationally, but according to a dosing schedule called "cycling" where the steroids are taken orally or injected over a set period of time, followed by a period of no dosing, then a repeat of the cycle. People abusing these drugs will often combine different steroids (called "stacking") in an effort to maximize the effects. They may vary the doses over the course of the cycle, increasing in strength or number of drugs stacked to a peak dosage, then decreasing gradually to the no-dose part of the cycle in a process called "pyramiding."

A good estimate of the prevalence of steroid abuse is difficult to ascertain, according to national experts that include the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Many drug abuse surveys do not include steroids in the drugs on which they collect data, and student athletes are reluctant to discuss steroid use, even anonymously, as they may be subject to severe penalties and restriction or elimination from competition as a result of reported steroid use. However, some data are available:

A 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) study estimated that about 1 percent of student athletes abused steroids, a rate estimated to be as much as three times the rate among non-athlete students.

The Monitoring the Future national studies provide reliable statistics over time among youth (survey respondents are 8th, 10th, and 12th graders), showing steroid use varying between less than 1 percent to more than 2.5 percent over time and according to grade level.

Steroid abuse has a broad range of negative consequences ranging from severe acne to addiction, and in the most extreme cases, death. Harmful effects include hypertension; blood clotting; uncontrolled violence, including extreme irritability, hostility, and aggression; stunted growth; and several cancers, including liver, kidney, and prostate. In addition, men are subject to reduced sperm production, shrunken testicles, and breast enlargement; women can develop menstrual irregularities and growth of facial hair and other masculine secondary sex characteristics. Ironically, though steroids may be abused to enhance physical performance and improve body image, some of the side effects worsen appearance, such as jaundice, severe acne, premature baldness (in both men and women) and trembling.

It is possible to become addicted to steroids, and stopping steroid use suddenly can bring on withdrawal side effects that include both physical and psychological symptoms such as long-term depression and suicidality.

The possible benefits of Bodybuilders are the following:

- To increase muscle size and strength.

- To speed recovery time.

- To increase energy levels during workouts.

- To increase the oxidation rise of fat.

Anabolic steroids are used in almost every level of sports competition and every gym across the country. They provide the users with an edge unmatched by any other sport supplement on the market. Steroids are used to increase muscle development and not only make the user stronger but enhance their physical looks.

The effects of anabolic steroids on a persons body is greatly underestimated. The purpose of this paper is to identify the dangers of steroid use on a persons' body and all other aspects anabolic steroid use presents on society.

Anabolic Steroids were invented accidentally in the 1930s by a team of German scientists, but the drugs were not deemed significant enough for any further study. The first known reference to Anabolic Steroids in a United States weightlifting magazine was in a letter to the editor of the magazine Strength and Health. In the 1950s, scientists of the Food and Drug Administration approved the steroid called methandrostelone in the United States.

In the 1990s counterfeit drugs became easier to detect using new technology. In 1991, the U.S. Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act that prohibits the use and sale of anabolic steroids defined as any drug or hormonal substance chemically or pharmeceutically related to testosterone that promotes muscle growth. Most illicit anabolic steroids are sold at competitions, at gyms, or on the internet, and those substances are usually smuggled into the United States. On January 20, 2005 controlled substance act went into effect. This law made possession of anabolic steroids a federal crime.

People in general use steroids in order to gain a competitive edge over athletes, self-confidence, and to get money or other financial gains. "Anabolic Steroids are used by track and field athletes, weight lifters, body builders, shot putters, cyclists, professional baseball players, professional wrestlers, police officers, and others who have a physical advantage, perhaps from a more fortunate natural endowment of endogenous steroids or from steroid use as well."

Steroid Testing is used to find if someone is using steroids, and are especially common in sports. Although there is no completely accurate steroid test, most of the different tests administered are over 99% accurate. This is why steroid penalties in sports are often disputed between players and officials. Due to the fact that there are no absolutely accurate tests, a player can be wrongly accused of using steroids in sports, which could result in suspension or expellation from the game and large monetary fines.

There are many myths that surround Anabolic Steroids. Myths about Steroids include that if you do take them, that you definitely will gain muscle mass. This myth is false. A person must do exercise in order to gain muscle mass, and even then steroids may not have any effect. Another myth is that the only risk in taking anabolic steroids is that a person can only get diseases or problems that are directly caused by the steroids themselves. This myth is also false. A person who takes steroids could get other diseases or infections as well, especially in the case of using intravenous steroids. Using those can give the person taking them Hepatitis B or AIDS. Some other myths include that people that only use them once in while can't have problems, and another is that a person can cheat steroid tests by eating certain foods or certain items. None of those myths are true, although some foods have been known to skew the results of a steroid test.

In Conclusion, using steroids is a dangerous, high-risk activity that could pay off big with large muscles, physical strength, or the competitive edge, but with harmful or even deadly side effects that could destroy your body.