7 Horrific Consequences of Taking Steroids
What Are the Side Effects and Complications of Anabolic Steroid Misuse?
So you’re thinking to yourself, “I want to get bigger, faster, and stronger. I want more attention from women.”
So the logical thing to do, right?
Is to just jump on the juice—take anabolic steroids.
Well, before you do that, read this article because I’m going to explain the side effects of taking anabolic steroids, and, to be honest, they aren’t pretty.
First, a quick disclaimer:
I’m just a gym‑rat—a person who loves working out and spending time at the gym.
I’m not a doctor or an endocrinologist, so please keep that in mind. The information I’m sharing in this article comes from my own research.
#1 Reduced Sperm Count
I’m going to ask you a simple question:
Do you want children?
Because if you do, using steroids is not advisable because they can have detrimental effects on your reproductive system.
Let me explain how this works.
Basically when you take anabolic steroids, you flood your body with synthetic testosterone, a hormone your body naturally produces.
And your body is smart and responds to this influx.
It signals that it no longer needs to produce testosterone naturally, as the drugs are essentially doing the job, that the body should be doing.
So as a result, this can cause the testicles to reduce or even completely stop sperm production, potentially leading to infertility.
And to be fair some readers might think this effect is reversible, and while there is some truth to that, nothing is guaranteed.
So why take the risk?
#2 Infertility
Let’s talk about sex for a minute.
When you ejaculate inside a woman, you release millions—sometimes billions—of sperm cells, depending on how healthy you are.
It’s essentially a “survival of the fittest” scenario:
Each sperm competes with each other to reach the egg.
So if you are like most people and want children, having millions of sperm cells, is in your best interest as this increases the odds of fertilization.
And of course the woman’s health also plays a crucial role, but since you’re not a woman, the only thing you can focus on, is yourself.
So, if you’re a teenager or in your twenties, why would you consider taking anabolic steroids?
There’s generally no need for it, and you can actually boost your testosterone levels NATURALLY without resorting to drugs.
And I in the future, I’ll eventually create an article covering this topic in more detail.
#3 Shrunken Testicles
Let's explain why anabolic steroids can potentially shrink your testicles.
It comes down to the fact that you're introducing an external source of testosterone into your body.
As the old adage goes, 'If you don't use it, you lose it.
So when your testicles no longer need to produce testosterone, they can shrink because they're not being utilized.
So let’s recap some of the points we’ve covered in this article:
Infertility
Reduced sperm count
Shrunken testicles
Unfortunately, the news doesn’t get any better from here.
#4 Erectile Dysfunction
For those who don't know, erectile dysfunction basically means you can't hold an erection.
Picture this: you've got a beautiful woman lying naked in bed, and you can't get it up.
What an absolute nightmare.
Generally speaking, when someone is using drugs like anabolic steroids, their sex drive and ability to get and hold an erection is usually fine.
The problem starts when they come off the drugs. And some people might be thinking, "Yeah, but they need to follow certain procedures, like post-cycle therapy (PCT), and so on."
But here's the thing: even if you follow all the procedures and do your PCT, there's no guarantee you'll get your sex drive back.
Let this sink in:
When you take anabolic steroids, you are messing with your reproductive system.
#5 Hair Loss
There are a couple of things I want to mention here.
The first is that not everyone who takes steroids will lose their hair. Genetics play a significant role, and some people are simply more susceptible to hair loss than others.
The second point is that certain steroids carry a higher risk of hair loss than others.
So let’s explain how it works:
When you take anabolic steroids, you increase your testosterone levels. Your body then converts some of that testosterone into a hormone called DHT.
DHT is an androgen that can shrink hair follicles.
I want to emphasize the word CAN because not everybody who takes gear, will lose their hair, however if you’re genetically predisposed to hair loss, steroids will probably accelerate that process.
So to be on the safe side it’s best to steer clear of steroids.
#6 Man Boobs (Gynecomastia)
Taking anabolic steroids can indeed cause gynecomastia, commonly known as "man boobs," and it all comes down to hormone imbalances.
The body is incredibly smart. When you take anabolic steroids, you're flooding it with an excessive amount of testosterone—far more than your body would naturally produce.
To compensate, your body ramps up estrogen production.
For those that don’t know estrogen is the dominant hormone in women, and you don't need me to tell you what women have:
Breasts.
And some people might say something along the lines of:
"But you can choose certain steroids over others to reduce the risk, or do post-cycle therapy (PCT) to manage side effects."
Sure, those options exist, but as I've said throughout this article, why even take the risks in the first place?
#7 Severe Acne
To cut a long story short, anabolic steroids increase testosterone levels.
Super high levels of testosterone can boost sebum production. For those that don’t know Sebum can clog your pores, leading to acne on your face, chest, and back.
And of course, genetics and hygiene play a role, so not everyone who takes anabolic steroids will develop acne.
But as I’ve said throughout this article, why take the risk?
Because you can increase your testosterone levels naturally, and sometime in the future, I’ll create an article explaining how to do this.