So far, my research has uncovered a variety of motivations behind steroid use among female bodybuilders—ranging from competitive pressure and aesthetic goals to feelings of empowerment and control. I watched a fantastic documentary about Rachel McLish.  She talks about the " elephant in the room" - women on steroids. She dives in to "doping" which is a body building term for taking steroids and the terrible life long side effects . 






For some, steroids offer the ability to compete at higher levels or to overcome genetic limitations. For others, they serve as tools of transformation—both physically and emotionally. But these gains don’t come without costs. 

Many women I’ve spoken to at my local gym have experienced health consequences, which  i will dive in deeper in the next coming weeks.

This post marks the beginning of a series that will dig deeper into key themes: 

The science and side effects: How do steroids affect female bodies differently? 
Voices from the sport: First-hand perspectives from athletes. 
Cultural backlash: Why are muscular women still seen as “unnatural”? 
Health vs. performance: How do women navigate risk? 
The future of female bodybuilding: 
Is change on the horizon? 

Each week, I’ll explore one of these angles in more depth, drawing on interviews, articles, and academic sources. My goal is not to judge, but to understand—to create space for honest, nuanced conversations around women, steroids, and strength. If you have questions or want to share your own experience, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s challenge the stereotypes together. Stay tuned for next week’s post, where I’ll look at how anabolic steroids affect women’s bodies differently than men’s—and what that means for their health and performance

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