Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances related to male sex hormones.
They promote growth of skeletal muscle and the development of male sex hormones. These steroids are prescribed by doctors to treat conditions such as delayed puberty and some types of impotance, and are also used to treat body wasting in patients with AIDS and other diseases. Abuse of anabolic steroids among adolescents has become a concern because of increased use in the 1990s. NIDA states that abuse of anabolic steroids is motivated by the desire to build muscles and improve sports performance. Some use these steroids because of misperceptions of their own bodies, like a belief that they look overweight or obese, NIDA also indicated in its Community Drug Alert Bulletin .