Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are synthetically produced variants of the naturally occurring male sex

hormone testosterone. “Anabolic” refers to muscle-building, and “androgenic” refers to increased male sexual
characteristics. “Steroids” refers to the class of drugs. These drugs can be legally prescribed to treat conditions
resulting from steroid hormone deficiency, such as delayed puberty, as well as diseases that result in loss of lean
muscle mass, such as cancer and AIDS.

How Are AAS Abused?

Some people, both athletes and non-athletes, abuse AAS in an attempt to enhance performance and/or improve
physical appearance. AAS are taken orally or injected, typically in cycles rather than continuously. “Cycling” refers
to a pattern of use in which steroids are taken for periods of weeks or months, after which use is stopped for a period
of time and then restarted. In addition, users often combine several different types of steroids in an attempt to
maximize their effectiveness, a practice referred to as “stacking.”

How Do AAS Affect the Brain?

The immediate effects of AAS in the brain are mediated by their binding to androgen (male sex hormone) and
estrogen (female sex hormone) receptors on the surface of a cell. This AAS–receptor complex can then shuttle into
the cell nucleus to influence patterns of gene expression. Because of this, the acute effects of AAS in the brain are
substantially different from those of other drugs of abuse. The most important difference is that AAS are not
euphorigenic, meaning they do not trigger rapid increases in the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is responsible for
the “high” that often drives substance abuse behaviors. However, long-term use of AAS can eventually have an
impact on some of the same brain pathways and chemicals—such as dopamine, serotonin, and opioid systems—that
are affected by other drugs of abuse. Considering the combined effect of their complex direct and indirect actions, it
is not surprising that AAS can affect mood and behavior in significant ways.

AAS and Mental Health

Preclinical, clinical, and anecdotal reports suggest that steroids may contribute to psychiatric dysfunction. Research
shows that abuse of anabolic steroids may lead to aggression and other adverse effects. 1 For example, although
many users report feeling good about themselves while on anabolic steroids, extreme mood swings can also occur,
including manic-like symptoms that could lead to violence.2 Researchers have also observed that users may suffer
from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of
invincibility.

Addictive Potential
Animal studies have shown that AAS are reinforcing—that is, animals will self-administer AAS when given the
opportunity, just as they do with other addictive drugs.3,4 This property is more difficult to demonstrate in humans,
but the potential for AAS abusers to become addicted is consistent with their continued abuse despite physical
problems and negative effects on social relations.5 Also, steroid abusers typically spend large amounts of time and
money obtaining the drug: this is another indication of addiction. Individuals who abuse steroids can experience
withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking AAS—these include mood swings, fatigue, restlessness, loss of
appetite, insomnia, reduced sex drive, and steroid cravings, all of which may contribute to continued abuse. One of
the most dangerous withdrawal symptoms is depression— when persistent, it can sometimes lead to suicide
attempts.

Research also indicates that some users might turn to other drugs to alleviate some of the negative effects of AAS.
For example, a study of 227 men admitted in 1999 to a private treatment center for dependence on heroin or other
opioids found that 9.3 percent had abused AAS before trying any other illicit drug. Of these, 86 percent first used
opioids to counteract insomnia and irritability resulting from the steroids. 6

What Other Adverse Effects Do AAS Have on Health?

Steroid abuse can lead to serious, even irreversible health problems. Some of the most dangerous among these
include liver damage; jaundice (yellowish pigmentation of skin, tissues, and body fluids); fluid retention; high blood
pressure; increases in LDL (“bad” cholesterol); and decreases in HDL (“good” cholesterol). Other reported effects
include renal failure, severe acne, and trembling. In addition, there are some gender- and age-specific adverse
effects:

 For men—shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts,
increased risk for prostate cancer
 For women—growth of facial hair, male-pattern baldness, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle,
enlargement of the clitoris, deepened voice
 For adolescents—stunted growth due to premature skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty changes;
risk of not reaching expected height if AAS is taken before the typical adolescent growth spurt

In addition, people who inject AAS run the added risk of contracting or transmitting HIV/AIDS or hepatitis, which
causes serious damage to the liver.

What Treatment Options Exist?

There has been very little research on treatment for AAS abuse. Current knowledge derives largely from the
experiences of a small number of physicians who have worked with patients undergoing steroid withdrawal. They
have learned that, in general, supportive therapy combined with education about possible withdrawal symptoms is
sufficient in some cases. Sometimes, medications can be used to restore the balance of the hormonal system after its
disruption by steroid abuse. If symptoms are severe or prolonged, symptomatic medications or hospitalization may
be needed.

How Widespread Is AAS Abuse?

Monitoring the Future Survey*

Monitoring the Future is an annual survey used to assess drug use among the Nation’s 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade
students. While steroid use remained stable among all grades from 2007 to 2008, there has been a significant
reduction since 2001 for nearly all prevalence periods (i.e., lifetime,** past-year, and past-month use) among all
grades surveyed. The exception was past-month use among 12th-graders, which has remained stable. Males
consistently report higher rates of use than females: for example, in 2008, 2.5 percent of 12th-grade males, versus
0.6 percent of 12th-grade females, reported past-year use.

Dangers of Anabolic Steroids

Steroids are dangerous for two reasons: they are illegal, and they can damage a person's health, especially if used in
large doses over time. Also, the health problems caused by steroids may not appear until years after the steroids are
taken.

Although they might help build muscle, steroids can produce very serious side effects. Using steroids for a long time
can negatively affect the reproductive system. In males, steroids can lead to impotence, a reduction in the amount of
sperm produced in the testicles, and even reduced testicle size.

Females who use steroids may have problems with their menstrual cycles because steroids can disrupt the
maturation and release of eggs from the ovaries. This disruption can cause long-term problems with fertility.

Steroids taken for an extended period of time also can cause:

 stunted growth in teens (by causing bones to mature too fast and stop growing at an early age)
 liver tumors
 abnormal enlargement of the heart muscles
 violent, aggressive behavior and mood swings
  blood lipid abnormalities that contribute to heart disease
 acne (or a worsening of acne)
 increased breast growth in males, especially teens
 irreversible stretch marks
 a heightened tendency for hair loss and male-pattern baldness
 muscle aches

Teen girls and women risk these additional side effects:

 male-type facial and body hair growth and male-pattern baldness

 deepening of the voice
 enlargement of the clitoris

Stories about athletes and steroids seem to pop up regularly in the news. Some professional baseball players,
cyclists, and track stars have been accused of — and in some cases have admitted to — using steroids to give them
an edge competitively.

And steroid use has trickled down to younger athletes too, who face fierce pressure to be stronger and faster, and to
make it to college and professional leagues. Some research has shown that 5% of teen boys and 2.5% of teen girls
have used some form of anabolic steroids.

Steroids promise bold results, but there is little proof that they deliver any such benefits. Extensive research,
however, shows how they can harm developing kids — with some of these ill effects not likely to turn up until years
later. And steroids are illegal, too.

It's important to understand the facts about steroids, their side effects, and what can drive kids to try them. Being
aware of the kinds of pressures kids deal with in sports can help you make sure that your child isn't at risk.

What Are Steroids?

Drugs commonly referred to as "steroids" are classified as anabolic (or anabolic-androgenic) and corticosteroids.
Corticosteroids, such as cortisone, are drugs that doctors typically prescribe to help control inflammation in the
body. They're often used to help control conditions like asthma and lupus. They're not the same as the anabolic
steroids that receive so much media attention for their use by some athletes and bodybuilders.

Anabolic steroids are synthetic hormones that can boost the body's ability to produce muscle and prevent muscle
breakdown. Some athletes take steroids in the hopes that they will improve their ability to run faster, hit farther, lift
heavier weights, jump higher, or have more endurance. In the United States, it is against the law to use anabolic
steroids without a prescription.

Androstenedione, or "andro," is a kind of anabolic steroid taken by athletes who want to build muscle. But research
suggests that andro taken in large doses every day can significantly increase levels of testosterone, which can lead to
a number of health problems.
 How Do Anabolic Steroids Work?

Anabolic steroids are drugs that resemble the chemical structure of the body's natural sex hormone testosterone,
which is made naturally by the body. Testosterone directs the body to produce or enhance male characteristics such
as increased muscle mass, facial hair growth, and deepening of the voice, and is an important part of male
development during puberty.

When anabolic steroids increase the levels of testosterone in the blood, they stimulate muscle tissue in the body to
grow larger and stronger. However, the effects of too much testosterone circulating in the body can be harmful over
time.

Why do people use anabolic steroids?

Our sports-loving nation loves a winner, and it's fair to say that most of the millions of boys and girls who compete
in high school sports love to win. Some of them will go to great lengths to do so. That may mean using
performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. Many steroid takers believe
taking anabolic steroids is the only way to develop muscle and strength. This is not true, as been knowledgeable,
persistence and hard work also pays off.

Among competitive bodybuilders and weight training personals, steroid use has been estimated to be very high.
Anabolic steroids help to rebuild tissues that have become weak because of serious injury or illness. A diet high in
proteins and calories is necessary with anabolic steroid treatment.

Anabolic steroids are used for several reasons:

 To gain weight after a injury or continuing infection

 to treat certain types of anemia
 to treat certain kinds of breast cancer in some women.
 to treat hereditary angioedema, which causes swelling of the face, arms, legs, throat, windpipe, bowels,
or sexual organs.

Another reason people give for taking steroids is to increase their muscle size and/or reduce their body fat in their
weight training and strength training routine.

k-12

1. Additional two years would mean extra expense for parents of public school goers, a majority of which
belong to impoverished sectors.

The new system would translate to added burden to parents who could barely send their children to school. For a
poverty-stricken country such as ours, the proposal to add two years to basic education is a question of survival.

2. It is the government which would be ‘throwing money into the problem’.

The proposal itself is very ideal, if not whimsical, for a country whose public spending for education is one of the
lowest in the world.

The education sector’s share has dwindled, from 3.3 percent in 2001, 2.19 percent in 2008 to 2.7 percent of the gross
domestic product (GDP) in 2009. This pales in comparison to neighboring countries Malaysia (7.4 percent) and
Thailand (4 percent). It is also lower than the four percent average for all countries that were included in the World
Education Indicators in 2006. The minimum prescribed standard for education spending set by UNESCO is six (6)
percent of a country’s GDP.

3. It will not resolve the high rate of unemployment, especially among the youth.

Another rationale is that adding two years to basic education would increase chances of our youth for employment,
even sans a college diploma.

The DepEd says that an additional two years in basic education is aimed at improving the technical-vocational skills
of our youth through subjects such as arts, aquaculture and agriculture, among others. The new education cycle, it
said, would let students graduate at the age of 18 and ensure that they land a job here or abroad, making students
employable even without finishing college.

4. It is designed to reinforce cheap semi-skilled labor for foreign needs.

Over the years, the government has promoted migration and jobs abroad in the guise of providing jobs and “greener
pastures” to our young labor force. Roughly 10.7 percent of the total Filipino labor migrant population now consists
of young workers, most of them semi-skilled and unskilled workers who offer their services in exchange for cheap
wages.

The economy’s lack of development resulting in job loss at home is due mainly to the government’s failure to
address poverty and joblessness. Migration has invariably resulted in the brain drain of our young skilled workers
and professionals. The departure, for instance, of our young nurses, teachers and doctors to work as caregivers,
medical assistants and domestic helpers has caused the disruption of our very own economy. Time and again we
whine of the deterioration of the quality of our education and health systems, but ironically, our very own economic
policies are driving away the best of the best of our skilled workers and professionals.

5. The genuine solution is for the promotion of an educational system that would truly address the needs of
the Filipino youth and Philippine society in general.

Education is the foundation upon which we shall build our country. It serves as the means to bring about the desired
change in society, to develop a generation of virtuous individuals and thus contribute to the development of good
human beings. Our educational system will determine the kind of nation we will become in the future.

Unless the government reverses its present education policies and works for the establishment of an educational
system that truly addresses and caters to the needs of the Filipino youth and Philippine society, the changes it would
implement are not necessarily the changes we genuinely need.