| Steroid use has become an increasingly | | | | survey. The twelfth grade group showed |
| frustrating problem for those in the | | | | increased use with 1.4% using in the month |
| professional sports industry with admissions | | | | prior to the survey and 2.5% using in the |
| by major players that steroid use was | | | | year prior to the survey.This same study |
| involved in their lives. Even more | | | | shows that gender, race, and cultural beliefs |
| frightening than the widespread abuse of | | | | highly impact the decision of whether or not |
| steroids by professional sports players is | | | | to use steroids. The research shows that |
| the alarming number of teenagers and young | | | | Caucasian students are more likely to use |
| athletes using steroids with the belief that | | | | steroids than African Americans, Hispanics, |
| they will help them become faster, stronger, | | | | or those of other races. Gender also plays a |
| or better at performing in athletic | | | | key role in determining who will develop an |
| competitions. People have taken steroids for | | | | addiction to steroids or use them at least |
| football, baseball, swimming, wrestling, | | | | once. Men use steroids overwhelmingly more |
| weight lifting, running, and other sports. | | | | than women. In this case, the pressures of |
| When the statistics are reviewed, they show | | | | the gender may contribute to the development |
| that steroid use is increasing in this age | | | | of this type of addiction. Most women are |
| group, which can have serious consequences.A | | | | encouraged to be pretty or thin, but men are |
| study that was conducted from 1999 to 2001 | | | | expected to be masculine, strong, and |
| shows that steroid use among teenagers has | | | | physically fit. Many fathers encourage their |
| been on the rise and gives statistics that | | | | sons to participate in athletics, leading |
| support that assumption. In 1999, 2.7% of | | | | their sons to believe that top performance is |
| tenth grade students report having used | | | | a must. These young men then turn to steroids |
| steroids at least one time in their lives, | | | | to help them build muscle mass, run faster, |
| while 2.9% of twelfth grade students reported | | | | hit the ball harder, or have more energy and |
| steroid use. The survey was repeated in 2001 | | | | stamina.The use of anabolic steroids and |
| and showed that the incidence of steroid use | | | | steroidal supplements is certainly an issue |
| had increased. Tenth grade students reported | | | | for student athletes. The best way to reduce |
| a 3.5% incidence rate of steroid use, while | | | | the incidence of steroid use is to emphasize |
| the use of steroids by twelfth-graders | | | | natural methods of bulking up and performing |
| increased to 4%. The same study surveyed the | | | | better such as cardiovascular exercise, |
| sample of students and asked how frequently | | | | weight bearing exercises, and a healthy diet. |
| their steroid use occurred. In the tenth | | | | With this type of positive encouragement, |
| grade group, 1.0% had used steroids within | | | | students may feel less pressure to perform |
| the month preceding the survey and 2.2% had | | | | well and avoid using steroids as a means of |
| used steroids within a year preceding the | | | | performance enhancement. |