Anabolic steroids and SARMs are used more widely in gyms than people admit. This piece doesn't encourage using them, and it will never tell you where to get them. It's for keeping people safer.

The real risks

Performance-enhancing drugs can affect the heart, cholesterol, blood pressure, liver, fertility, mood and hormones, sometimes lastingly. SARMs are not approved medicines, and products sold as SARMs often contain something else.

If you or a friend use them

  • See a doctor and tell them. It changes how they look after you, and it's confidential.
  • Get bloodwork before, during and after: blood counts, cholesterol, liver and kidney function, hormones.
  • Never share needles, and use sterile equipment. Many harm-reduction services provide it free.
  • Watch your mood. Irritability, depression and dependence are real, especially when stopping.
  • Your fertility can be affected for a long time. Talk to a doctor before you start if children might be in your future.

Getting help

If use has stopped feeling like a choice, that's common, and there's help. SAMHSA's helpline is free and confidential, any time.