Children of doping athletes deformed

[Kiwi]

This article has appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald.

It talks about athletes in East Germany who were part of the 1970's and 1980's doping regime, and the health of their children - a study suggests their children have serious medical issues at rates higher than the national average.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/children-of-doping-athletes-deformed/2007/10/31/1193618974100.html

May be of some interest.

[ED_AISH]

Interesting... I am not pro steroid use but some of the ill effects on the children in this study may come down to being the children of people who's focus was 150% sports and not the health and mental well-being of their children? I think mum or dad or both never being around could have at least a major effect on the mental health of a child.

[Agent]

I just watched a documentary about this last week, really interesting. They mostly focused on the female athletes who were basically guinea pigs back then, and given very high amounts of oral Turinabol amongst other things while still children and when going through puberty. The ones interviewed in the doco had ongoing health problems and one of the female athletes who became very masculine even ended up having a sex change and is now a man!

Pretty disgusting to see how a majority of these kids were given these drugs as part of an array of 'vitamins' without them or their parents knowing.

Like many documentaries it was quite shocking, and will no doubt add to the general population's consensus that "steroids are bad" regardless that these were extreme circumstances involving long term high doses in children/teenagers etc. Nonetheless, it still goes to show how powerful these drugs are, and how much thought should be given before someone decides to use them.