Script Image Posted May 27, 2016; Text On Page Last Edited June 22, 2017

The following article is neither to be considered as medical advice nor making any allegation towards a specific individual or group.

With lab screening for steroids in effect, participants of athletic competition have tested clean when later revealed they used variations undetectable by the testing.  A proposed supplementary system takes into account measurable factors based on the side effect, growth of bones in the head and face beyond the biologically occurring expected range.  Noticeable to visual observers a technical approach may apply for the purpose of league sanctions, where entrants opt-in for qualification.  This is not to suggest there is a problem with the way any one’s head may look at a single point in time; we are only worried if there is an otherwise unexplained fluctuation over a given duration.

The procedure uses facial-recognition technology to evaluate images from different angles of the subjects’ cranial region.  After an initial baseline scan, periodic follow-up inspections are made for comparison.  Computer software can assess proportions, contour, surface area, and other variables.  The object is to identify changes in size or structure outside a normal expected range.  When a violation is detected the individual would face suspension until a later exam confirms the rate of growth has returned to normal, along with to standard league penalties.  A more detailed framework is to be established, including to determine an effective limit to the amount of fluctuation that can occur naturally; parameters may vary based on age, body mass ranges, and additional factors.  Also there should be some amount of increase expected when one adds bulk fair & square, otherwise would be out of proportion the other way around.

Another form of testing to consider is for those who have consumed a substance of concern to monitor themselves for effects after the fact.  A female may notice physical features becoming more masculine from intake of testosterone or its variants; conversely the male endocrine system shuts down regular production in response, over time requiring the individual to use greater amounts to maintain original levels after the drugs wear off, leading to an eventual state of gender confusion – such characteristics can also occur in nature from infancy, the concern is active or former steroid users noticing an unexpected shift; also this does not mean the same treatment would be called for in both cases.

Operating a sports page was never intended to encourage involvement with steroid-hormone intake for competition or any other reason, aside from rare medical cases.  Internal organs endure added strain from use of such substances, so reduced function is an indicator to seek prompt medical attention.  If you know some one personally susceptible to such activities, please forward this information to them for review before they proceed.  At younger ages of development long-term impact should be considered more severe.  For any one already affected professional assistance is called for to reduce further harm, following a program to phase out properly as soon as possible, based on symptoms and history of use.  If they have only partaken briefly, there is a chance to avoid noticeable impact if willing to not pursue extended use; expert consultation would still be advised to oversee the phasing-out process, as discontinuing usage outright without scaling back at the correct interval can increase the possibility of long-term effects.

At the top levels of modern athletics, most of the substance usage takes place for the purpose to recover from injuries, under counsel from scientists to manage the risk-tradeoff. Players are often under pressure to meet expectations of the town they represent, along with organized gambling outfits. Our objective is to improve testing to make detection less avoidable, so they will no longer be forced to make these difficult decisions. Generally they were already capable of reaching the higher leagues, then taking these drugs to try and maintain; we need to make sure those in junior divisions do not expect this will give them extra ability they would not have otherwise. Consuming for recovery also applies in other occupations, ranging from public service to entertainment sectors. Our goal to provide more of the full picture to help make an informed decision, not trying to give regrets to anyone already involved. It needs to be remarked an average person can legally purchase products from vitamin or “nutrition” retail outlets, containing substances already banned by sports authorities. Much of the health supplement industry operates outside of the regulatory environment, where items can be sold over-the-counter that have already been flagged by league protocol as harmful, and customers will not have a professional to oversee the risk management. Also there are certain related medical materials, legally approved and casually issued by licensed providers, which are arguably causing worse damage than the substances commonly used in athletics, birth control and abortion industry that is.

References – Updated March 26, 2018

– World Anti-Doping Agency
– Office of Diversion Control – Steroid Abuse in Today’s Society – DOJ
– National Institute on Drug Abuse – Health Consequences of Steroid Abuse – NIDA
– Anabolic Steroid Misuse – NHS Choices
– Treatment of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Dependence – NIH
– Star Athletes Rarely Caught Using Steroids in Drug Tests – ABC News
– How World Class Athletes Can Take Drugs and Get Away With It – Daily Mail
– Acromegaly – The Effects of Various Steroid Hormones – NIH
– Acromegaly – What is Acromegaly? – NIH
– International Society of Craniofacial Surgery
– The American Society for Craniofacial Surgery
– This Is What Happens to You on Steroids – Esquire
– Steroids Linked to Cancer, Self Harm, Birth Defects – ABC News
– Cardiac Effects of Anabolic Steroids – BMJ
– Anabolic Steroids Increase Risk for Heart Disease in Young and Middle-Aged Men – ACC
– Anabolic Steroid Use Linked to Severe Cardiac Dysfunction – ESC
– FDA Cautions About Using Testosterone Products for Low Testosterone Due to Aging
– FDA Warns About Blood Clot Risk with Testosterone Products – Harvard Health Publishing
– Bio-Identicals: Sorting Myths from Facts – FDA
– Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer: Heterogeneous Risks By Race, Weight, and Breast Density – NIH
– Androgenic Anabolic Steroid Use and Severe Hypothalamic-Pituitary Dysfunction – NIH
– Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Dependence: An Emerging Disorder – NIH
– Synthetic Testosterone Seemed Like a Good Idea – NY Times
– Research Report Series: Anabolic Steroid Abuse – EHD
– Primary Care Protocol for Transgender Patient Care: Hormone Administration – UCSF
– Ohio University LGBT Center – Transitioning
– Practical Guidelines for Transgender Hormone Treatment – BUMC
– Feminising Hormone Information – The Gender Centre
– Facial Feminization and the Theory of Facial Sex Difference: The Medical Transformation of Elective Intervention to Necessary Repair – JHU 
– Publications – Society for Endocrinology
– Journal of Endocrinology – Archive of Issues by Date
– Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism – Archives
– Oral Contraceptive Pill May Prevent More Than Pregnancy: Could Cause Long-term Problems With Testosterone – Science Daily
– Comparison of Androgens in Women With Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: Those On Combined Oral Contraceptives (COCs) Vs. Those Not On COCs – NIH
– Impact of Oral Contraceptives on Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin and Androgen Levels: A Retrospective Study in Women with Sexual Dysfunction – NIH
– Sexual Dysfunction After a First Trimester Induced Abortion in a Chinese Population – Science Direct
– Thrombotic Stroke and Myocardial Infarction with Hormonal Contraception – NEJM
– International Agency for Research on Cancer Monographs Programme Finds Combined Estrogen-Progestogen Contraceptives and Menopausal Therapy Are Carcinogenic To Humans
– Oral Contraceptive Use as a Risk Factor for Premenopausal Breast Cancer – Mayo Clinic
– Recent Oral Contraceptive Use by Formulation and Breast Cancer Risk among Women 20 to 49 Years of Age – AACR Journals
– Can Oral Contraceptives Cause An Abortion? – Columbia University
– Contraceptives Versus Abortifacients – NIH
– The FDA Adopts the Abortion Industry Standards for the Mifeprex (RU-486) Abortion Regimen – FRC
– Possible Physical Side Effects After Abortion – American Pregnancy Association