In the late 2000s, the worldwide trade in illicit AAS increased significantly, and authorities announced record captures on three continents. In 2006, Finnish authorities announced a record seizure of 11.8 million AAS tablets. A year later, the DEA seized 11.4 million units of AAS in the largest U.S seizure ever. In the first three months of 2008, Australian customs reported a record 300 seizures of AAS shipments.

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Although this high prevalence of former users of AS is supported by the literature , no previous study evaluated individuals who intended to use AS. In 2001, it was estimated that 0.3% of the adult population in Brazil used AS . In 2005, this number increased to 0.9%, which comprised mostly of men aged between 18 and 34 years . Some studies assessed the prevalence of AS use among resistance training practitioners in gyms from various regions of the country, resulting in a prevalence range of 4.5 to 24.9% . However, these studies were conducted in three to 20 gyms , involving 117 to 510 individuals , and thus may not be representative of the populations of these cities.

Adverse effects

Moreover, a study in Boston, United States, examined five gyms and 511 individuals, showing a prevalence of 5, 1% . The variability of the prevalence among these studies can be attributed to not only the sample distribution, namely the numbers of gyms and individuals, but also the regional and own characteristics of the samples. For example, in the Netherlands, a study involving 92 gyms and 718 individuals obtained a prevalence of AS use of 1% .

Anabolic–androgenic steroidsDrug classChemical structure of the natural AAS testosterone (androst-4-en-17β-ol-3-one). When steroids get into the body, they go to different organs and muscles. Using steroids, guys can experience shrunken testicles and reduced sperm count. beligas are involved in the development of a girl’s feminine traits and a boy’s masculine traits.

Ending the Abuse of Anabolic Steroids

Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Non-medical use of steroids can involve quantities from 10 to 100 times the amount used for medical purposes. The adverse effects of AAS use depend on the product, the age and sex of the user, how much they use, and for how long.

Some adults and teens use illegal anabolic steroids to lower body fat, get bigger muscles, and increase strength. They use the drugs because they are seeking to improve how well they play sports or how they look. Androgens and anabolic steroids are used as replacement therapy to treat delayed puberty in adolescent boys, hypogonadism and impotence in men, and to treat breast cancer in women. They are also used to treat anemia, osteoporosis, weight loss and other conditions with hormonal imbalance.