If you’ve been following the Sammy Sosa “situation” and the drastic change in his skin color  , then you know that these are very racialized conversations. If the articles are intersectional they center race, gender, and colonization; yet rarely do they address the issue of steroid use, which was originally suggested to be the reason for his skin color changing.

When I first heard about this story, anabolic steroids were blamed for induced vitiligo. I immediately became suspicious because I know that there is limited scientific information regarding anabolic steroid use in the US. How do I know this? Well I took a little class called “A History of The US Drug War” where I had to unlearn a whole lot that I was taught as I grew up during the Reagan era of “just say no” to drugs specifically. So I did so research.

The take home message of this article is this: There is limited to NO research in the US regarding anabolic steroid use. Take a moment to let that sink in.

Now, how do we know what anabolic steroids do if there is old or no research to support findings/analysis/information that is being distributed? How do we know that using them are “bad” and “harmful” to our health? How were these messages constructed?

In searching for the side effects of using anabolic steroids (either for short periods of time or for longer ones) I could not find much (and I have access to scientific peer reviewed journals as a faculty member at a college). The first thing that comes up is a link to the “Research Report on Anabolic Steroid Use”  from the National Institute of Drug Abuse. The Report actually states: “it is difficult to estimate the true prevalence of steroid abuse in the United States because many data sources that measure drug abuse do not include steroids”  yet does not state why there is no research to examine such. It also confuses all steroids with anabolic steroids, which are the ones we hear about being used when athletes admit to using them. Not all steroids are “bad,” like cortisone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisone .

So, why aren’t studies being done? Well, a few physicians who could do the research think doing such research to understand what some real causes and outcomes are regarding anabolic steroids is “unethical.” See video below for this perspective and others, as well as some Steroids 101:






This is a clip from the documentary Bigger Stronger Faster, which is informative and entertaining, but not without problems as towards the end of the film director Christopher Bell hires undocumented Mexicans to prove a “point.” Yet, my focus today is on anabolic steroid use and how the media has represented it and how we are consuming these messages that are based off of some very skewed and old research that has NO potential for being replicated. When I was in graduate school and studying statistics and research methodology I was taught that one of the ways we know research is correct is when it can be replicated in another lab by other researchers under the same conditions. This is not the case with anabolic steroids in the US.

So now that we are talking about the representation of steroid use among athletes, I find it shocking that all of the athletes I’ve heard of going to prison and having their careers suffer because of it’s use are athletes of Color (yes, I do realize that I am dating myself and that I’m not “up to date” on some anabolic steroid career changing except among athletes of Color, and I think that’s because of my standpoint. So I’m in no way saying that White athletes have not had their career altered because of this, I think it is amplified for the athletes of Color, especially those who come from working class backgrounds, or outside of the US, or are women. Please also keep in mind the Governor of California has used anabolic steroids). My friend, whom I call “The Haitian” (and I called him that before Heroes even started!), was visiting me one evening and flipping through a 4-year-old Vibe magazine. He came across an advertisement with Marion Jones. He showed it to me and shook his head. Four years ago we had no idea that Marion Jones would have spent 6 months in prison, and had all of her medals, prizes, and points (along with some teammates) forfeited.

Today, as I finish up this piece I couldn’t help but notice that the Google image for the main search page was of Popeye:



One of the reasons this topic if of interest to me along with its connection to race, class, gender, ethnicity, and citizenship status, is also how it connects to sexuality. One of my recent articles about surviving a police encounter I realized has to be included when discussing topics about sexuality. For many people of Color, youth, working class and/or queer communities, and people who go against any “norm” our society has created, our sexuality is criminalized in many ways and we must know our rights. So, the connection with sexuality and steroids I see in the same way. The National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) listed three reasons why people may use anabolic steroids and none of them addressed class, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, national origin, and how those identities intersect and result in a person’s belief that they must use them to keep a job, express their gender identity, make money, stay in the country, find safety, or to provide for their family. However, the last reason the NIDA wrote was this:

 

Some people who abuse steroids to boost muscle size have experienced physical or sexual abuse. In one series of interviews with male weightlifters, 25 percent who abused steroids reported memories of childhood physical or sexual abuse. Similarly, female weightlifters who had been raped were found to be twice as likely to report use of anabolic steroids or another purported musclebuilding drug, compared with those who had not been raped. Moreover, almost all of those who had been raped reported that they markedly increased their bodybuilding activities after the attack. They believed that being bigger and stronger would discourage further attacks because men would find them either intimidating or unattractive.

If we are talking to youth about sexuality, are we mentioning drug use, including anabolic steroids? If so what do we say? How do we say it? Do we understand we are teaching outdated and old information? There is clearly a connection in anabolic steroid use, college athletes, and sexual activity, yet no conversation. How does anabolic steroid use intersect with comprehensive sexuality education? Why are there NO nationally promoted sexuality curriculums that address this topic (or surviving police encounters for that matter)? 

I wonder if there is a right/good way to address anabolic steroids with young people, and even adults, when we have very poor research to utilize at our disposal. I’m interested in knowing what those of you reading think would be a good approach to beginning such discussions, as I’m down for beginning to create such curriculums. I have my own opinions about anabolic steroid use. Although not popular, they are based on understanding we have limited information about them, and that our government finds anabolic steroids more important to discuss and examine than the effects of Hurricane Katrina (see video for reference).

I find it intriguing that people find athletes using anabolic steroids as “unethical” and “immoral.” From my working class perspective I find their six-figure plus salary on the “unethical” and “immoral” tip, but that doesn’t seem to be of many other critics concern.