Recent revelations have pointed to continuing issues regarding performancing enhancing drugs.

The approaching Olympic Games in Rio has already started to intensify the debate surrounding steroids.

Read the rest of the New Statesman article here

However, you don’t have to be an Olympian to take these substances.

Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids) have become popular in relation to body building and image enhancement, and there is some evidence that use is increasing in Warwickshire.

The majority of users inject anabolic steroids. As a consequence, they are potentially at risk of a number of serious harms, including:

Damage to the injection site as a result of poor injecting technique.

Bacterial and fungal infections (such as localised abscesses and systemic infections) as a result of poor injecting technique, contaminated drug products, and sharing vials and/or reusing injecting equipment.

Blood-borne viruses (BBV) such as HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C as a result of sharing used injecting equipment or sharing vials (that have become contaminated through reuse of injecting equipment) with others.

There are also a number of physical, psychological and behavioural side effects, including acne, hair loss, gynaecomastia (growth of breast tissue in males), liver cell changes, mania and aggression.

The Recovery Partnership can help people who need help to control steroid abuse.