The Syndey Morning Herald has demonized anabolic steroids in an investigative report looking at the increasing popularity of “steroid vacations” among Australian bodybuilders. The purchase or importation of steroids in Australia can result in serious penalties including significant fines and even jail time. “Steroid vacations” refer to the increasingly popular practice among Australians of flying to countries where anabolic steroids and performance- and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs) can be purchased legally over the counter without a prescription. Law-abiding bodybuilders who respect the steroid laws of Australia have made Thailand a popular tourist destination for such purchases.
”I don’t use in Australia, and wouldn’t even know where to get it because I don’t need the trouble,” said bodybuilder Michael Dorn, a winner of the IFBB Mr. Teenage Australia. “I’m happy doing it here where nobody bothers me.”
Rather than highlight the fact that these bodybuilders are citizens who respect, although likely strongly disagree with, Australia’s draconian anti-steroid laws, the Herald has chosen to quote a “hormone expert” who calls such law-abiding bodybuilders “stupid”.
”Stupid people do stupid things,” according to Katherine Samaras, an Associate Professor at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. ”If people want to flout laws that are designed to protect them and head to poor, lawless countries to destroy their bodies, there’s only so much you can do.”
Dr. Samaras compares buying steroids to prostitution and human trafficking telling the Herald that “‘anything can be bought for a song, whether it’s people, sex, or anabolic steroids”.
Furthermore, she demonizes steroids as causing “behavioural issues”, “irreversible damage” and “long-term testicular wasting.” She even characterizes the use of steroids as an “addiction”.
“There is no smart way to take these drugs,” asserts Samaras.
Of course, anabolic steroids can be used safely and have been used safely in medicine for several decades. Bodybuilders and steroid harm reduction clinics know that the side effects of steroids can be minimized or prevented. Most of the side effects are fully reversible.
For example, there is no such thing as “long-term testicular wasting”. Anabolic steroid induced hypogonadism (ASIH) is a predictable side effect of steroid use. The severity and duration is influenced by the quantity, type(s) and duration of the steroid cycle. However, medically supervised post cycle therapy (PCT) can restore the function of the hypo-thalamic-pituity axis (HPTA) in practically every case. This leads to a full reversal of the testicular atrophy and function.
Unfortunately, “hormone experts” like Dr. Samaras that label steroid-using bodybuilders as “stupid” do not facilitate the likelihood that bodybuilders will seek medical supervision while using steroids.
Source:
Duff, E. (May 27, 2012). ‘Steroid vacations’ a dangerous rage for the ripped. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/steroid-vacations-a-dangerous-rage-for-the-ripped-20120526-1zbto.html
