Girls on Steroids

I stay in shape and admire competitive athletes, but I can’t understand why some of them, including those Tour de France cyclists in the news last week, risk their health by taking performance-enhancing drugs (see our Science section for details). Among the most dangerous such drugs are anabolic steroids, which are versions of the male hormone testosterone. And there are clues you should look for to see whether your daughter might be using these drugs.

That’s right, your daughter. Although the steroid fad seems to be fading among teenage boys, the latest studies suggest that it’s just taking off among girls. A survey conducted at Pennsylvania State University estimates that the number of steroid-popping 14-to-18-year-old girls has roughly doubled over the past seven years and could be as high as 175,000 nationwide. A study of four Massachusetts middle schools found that girls as young as 10 are taking the performance-enhancing drugs in roughly the same numbers as boys.

Why? More girls are competing in sports than ever before, and they have a strong incentive to seek any edge they can. Since 1972, the Federal Government has required colleges and universities to expand women’s athletic scholarships to reflect more closely the number of women athletes. The number of full scholarships grew from 0 (yes, zero) in 1972 to nearly 20,000 in 1997. According to Charles Yesalis, a professor of sports science and senior author of the Penn State report, many young women view steroid use as a straightforward investment in their future. “Most of the time, after you stop taking steroids, you won’t go back to ground zero,” he explains. “If you keep working out, you could hang on to 80% of your gains.” Aspiring athletes can take the hormones for a few months in high school, qualify for a lucrative college scholarship, then stop taking the drugs before sophisticated lab tests (which are beyond the reach of most high schools) can sniff them out.

The catch? Even a few months of steroid use can permanently damage the heart, trigger liver failure, stop a teenager from growing taller and even put at risk a young woman’s chances of ever having children. Another catch: while black-market steroids are widely available, there are criminal penalties for sale or possession without a prescription.

How can you tell if your daughter is on steroids? That can be tricky. Two of the most common side effects–acne and mood swings–are also hallmarks of normal adolescence. Most young women take steroids not to develop bulky muscles but rather to increase their strength and endurance, which are harder to spot. Look for a subtle but rapid change as the normal curves of fat that define the female form melt away. Longtime steroid users may lose their breasts entirely. Watch too for torn connective tissues. Steroids often cause muscles to outgrow and injure the tendons and ligaments that attach them to the bone.

And listen. Steroids can thicken and lengthen the vocal cords, dropping an octave or more from a girl’s normal register. Some try to hide the effect by talking only in breathy, little-girl whispers.

Above all, remember that if you teach your young athlete to win at any cost, she may pay the price for the rest of her life.

See time.com/personal for more on the dangers of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.