HARM REDUCTION:

Proper Injection Procedures - A focus on correct injection procedure can help eliminate some of the complications associated with non-medical steroid use. Steroids are given via deep intramuscular injections. The most common site of application is the upper outer quadrant of the gluteus muscle, although the drugs are also commonly injected to the upper outer thigh and shoulder. Site injections (in smaller muscle groups) are discouraged, as they are technically more difficult to navigate, and more prone to complications with self-administration. Comfortable injection volumes should be stressed, generally no more than 3 ml per application. A general focus should be made on cleanliness, such as the use of alcohol pads before injection, and the proper disposal of all needles after each use. It is important to stress that needle sharing is highly unlikely in the bodybuilding community, as these are not drugs of addiction, and the process is usually undertaken with great planning.

Steroid Use, Not Abuse - Steroids can be used to build muscle and improve performance with high-relative safety, provided attention is paid to several things.

* Megadosing – The practice of taking very high doses for more rapid gains is unnecessary, especially for recreational/cosmetic use. Sufficient muscle can be built on moderate doses. In the case of a testosterone ester like testosterone cypionate, this may call for 200-400 mg per week (roughly 2-4 times natural production). There is little need to take doses of 1,000mg per week or more, as they are wasteful and greatly increase side effects and the negative impact of steroid therapy on cardiovascular risk factors.

* Proper cycling – This should be emphasized, which usually includes 6-8 weeks of use followed by equal time or greater off all anabolic/androgenic steroids.

* No Orals – The limited use of oral steroids should be emphasized, as they are more likely to have a very strong negative influence on cardiovascular disease risk. Oral steroids usually present some liver toxicity as well.

* Visit the Doctor – Users should visit a doctor regularly with each cycle. Blood work should be done several times. Fasting cholesterol and HDL/LDL ratio should be examined for heart disease risk, NOT JUST TOTAL CHOLESTEROL. Blood pressure, blood cell counts, triglycerides, homocysteine, and liver enzymes should also be evaluated.

TOP

Avoid Counterfeit & Underground Steroids – Counterfeit and underground drugs are often of dubious quality. For example, The Hartford Courant recently ordered 13 steroid products from the Internet and had them tested for potency and contaminants. While approximately half were sterile and properly dosed, many more were contaminated. Such things as lead, tin, furfural, benzyl chloride, and diethylstilbestrol were found in some containers, clearly unwanted ingredients in human medications. Ironically, laws that prevent doctors from prescribing these drugs or limit their supply are presenting new risks to the community of users by forcing them to buy off the black market, where unsterile drugs are widely sold.

In Closing

So to sum up what I am trying to say here, I think we could focus on several key points. 1) Steroids have a long history in human medicine, and are well, not poorly, understood. 2) The short-term (acute) risks associated with these drugs are very low. 3) The long-term (when used for many years) risks are tangible, and mainly concern cardiovascular disease. 4) Laws restricting the supply of steroids were founded in ethics and politics, not a public health crisis. 5) Laws that restrict the supply of these drugs may ironically present more risk for steroid users, by denying ready access to pharmaceutical-quality medicines. 6) Steroids are not addictive drugs, and do not cause violent behavior or suicide. 7) To sum up the mentality of the steroid user, I think it is fair to say that he of she generally feels they are taking a low risk in exchange for high reward.