Although the use of anabolic steroids is more popular in men, some existing documents reveal that a number of women are also using performance-enhancing drugs for reasons that are slightly different from their male counterparts. In a 2005 story run by MSNBC, an alarming number of American girls as young as 9 are using steroids to achieve the toned, sculpted look of models and movie stars.

Among the benefits seen by females who use anabolic steroids include reduced body fat, an increased in lean muscle mass, and increased strength. Achieving an improved physical appearance can obviously heightened the female’s self-esteem as she may become more noticeable to the opposite sex, may experience winning streaks in a competition, or feel more secured with her new-found physical strength.

However, just like men who are using anabolic steroids, female steroids users are not free from any adverse physical and psychological side effects. In fact, some of the androgenic effects of steroids are even more dangerous and marked for both women and girls because the female body generally has less testosterone production that men.

Although the MSNBC news is truly alarming, there’s no way parents can keep an eye on their children 24/7. Thus, the likelihood of young girls using steroids and getting addicted to them is not far from happening. But one way to deter your own kids from steroids use is by implementing random steroid testing at home. Instant steroid confirm tests are convenient if you want to know whether or not your children are using steroids even without lab analysis. Early intervention can go a long way to saving your children from the harmful effects of anabolic steroids. To give you an idea, below are the side effects of nonprescription and unsupervised anabolic steroids use in women.

Steroid Urine Tests

Short Term:

• Breast reduction
• Excessive hair growth
• Acne
• Fluid retention
• Rapid weight gain
• Increased blood pressure and cholesterol levels
• Insomnia (inability to sleep)
• Headaches
• Reduced sexual functioning
• Increase in muscle size
• Swelling of feet and ankles
• Improved healing
• Improved appetite

Long Term:

• Deepened voice
• Enlarged clitoris
• Abnormal menstrual cycles
• Blood clotting difficulties
• Heart attacks
• Clotting disorders
• Cardiovascular, liver, and reproductive organ damage
• Premature heart attacks and strokes
• Reduced sexual functioning
• Stunted growth in adolescents
• Increased chance of injuring ligaments, tendons and muscles
• Increase in muscle size

In terms of behavioral side effects, girls and women who use anabolic steroids may experience irritability and signs of high aggression that can lead to violent outburst. The individual may become very aware of her surroundings, which can sometimes lead to schizophrenic and/or psychotic episodes and hypomania. Other psychological side effects of steroid abuse in women include depression, anxiety, hostility and paranoia.

Steroids use has both positive and negative effects to the users. For bodybuilders and weightlifters, the need to achieve increased muscle size and muscle strength is the biggest factor that forces them to use steroids even if it means risking their health. Some well-known professional athletes in the field of baseball, track and field, and cycling have also once hugged the headlines for reportedly using steroids or for coming out positive on steroid testing during their professional career.  Apparently, the use of steroids by several sports figures has led to the assumption that an improved aggressiveness, physical strength, and motivation are the only way to win a game and be a top scorer.

However, steroids use is not without any harmful effects. While you might probably just want to look good and enhance your performance, the use of anabolic steroids may also increase your risk to certain health conditions, such as depression, paranoia, and hypertension.

Unlike psychological effects, the physical symptoms of steroids use are easier to notice. For example, when a professional athlete begins to show increased aggression and starts developing bulky muscles quite rapidly, the idea of steroids use comes almost instantly. But aside from the increased muscle size and aggression, other physical side effects of steroids use in men include:

• Baldness
• Development of breasts
• Increased risk for prostate cancer
• Reduced  sperm count
• Impotence
• Infertility
• Shrinking of the testicles
• Difficulty or pain while urinating
• Acne
• Rapid weight gain
• Penile enlargement
• Epistaxis (nose bleeds)
• Changes in hair growth and distribution
• Bloated appearance
• Swelling of feet and ankles

In Willian N. Taylor’s Anabolic Steroids and the Athlete, the adverse physical effects associated with anabolic steroids use are listed in the following categories: lethal; serious and life-threatening; and less serious adverse physical effects.

Most of the lethal effects involved the cardiovascular system, such as heart attack, blood clot in the lungs, stroke, sudden death from intra-abdominal hemorrhage; and sudden death from suicides and accidental drug overdose.

Steroid Test Kit

Liver conditions and serious cardiovascular conditions occur to people with high-dose prolonged anabolic steroid therapy. Hence, patients who take therapeutic steroids are closely monitored to lower steroids dosage as their health conditions improve. In the case of people who take anabolic steroids without prescription and doctor’s supervision, the likelihood of experiencing liver cancer and other serious health problems is relatively high. Kidney cancer, liver cancer, weakening of the heart muscle, and peliosis hepatitis are among the notable adverse physical effects of anabolic steroids use.

Less severe physical effects of anabolic steroids use have also been reported by several existing studies. Some of these physical effects are prevalent in male users than females.

In adolescents, anabolic steroids can halt growth prematurely. Dr. Gary Wadler, a New York University School of Medicine professor and lead author of the book Drugs and the Athlete, explains “What happens is that steroids close the growth centers in a kid’s bones. Once these growth plates are closed, they cannot reopen so adolescents that take too many steroids may end up shorter than they should have been.”

One way to discourage your own children from using performance-enhancing drugs is by performing random test at home using a steroid testing kit. If your children know that you’re keeping an eye on their health, they are less likely to commit into using any form of illegal drugs at home or in school.