I see a problem with people lying about it, especially if they are profiting off the lie or using it to gain an unfair advantage in sports. The fact that they are illegal and you have to get them underground exacerbates the problem. Its not on your medical history, theres no official records of you being on them so you can lie.
The issue I have is theres a social distain towards steroids that seems unfair when compared to all the other things I listed. I’m not ashamed to tell you that I’m not on steroids, but only because I dont have reliable access to them. Because they are extremely illegal in Australia and because we are an island nation hard to smuggle in and therefore HORRIBLY expensive. If I could have my doctor manage a sensibly dosed regime, Id start tomorrow and I wouldnt lie for a second about it.
You’re half right about the hormones, you experience supression when coming off a cycle thats pretty much directly proportional to your dosage and duration when on steroids. Which is why Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) is a must, suplements that help rebalance your hormones and bring testosterone production back up.
The problem with them being illicit and distained is that theres nothing stopping people from just setting their own insane dosages, running terrible stacks (multiple different drugs/compounds), not doing adequate PCT and generally making up their own rules, leading to bad outcomes.
I agree with you that the stigma around them is not a net positive. Adults should be able to use tools available, in a safe way and if they don’t harm others in the process. Legalizing their use would also minimize problems from illegal trade.
Thanks for the info on the PCT, was not aware. The examples I read were extreme, were the person had been using for years and in high doses so they were effectively dependent on them.
