Some men who use steroids say the drugs come with an unexpected side effect: a sudden change in who they are sexually attracted to.
Anabolic steroids are performance-enhancing drugs used most often for gaining muscle or improving physical ability. Their use is illegal without a proper prescription.
The drugs are controversial, with mountains of evidence linking them to low sperm counts and shrinking testicles.
But a small subset of male users are now reporting a change in sexuality.
In a social media post titled ‘Why the f**k is trenbolone turning me homosexual?’ one user contemplated whether he should fulfill his newfound gay fantasies and described his new sexual urges after beginning the trenbolone – an anabolic ‘muscle building’ steroid commonly called tren. (Anabolic steriods are synthetic varients of the male sex hormone testosterone.)
Another post on X explained how steroids were affecting a friend: ‘A gay friend of mine started a steroid cycle and he suddenly found himself interested in women. When weaned himself off and he was still gay.
In a different thread, a woman who identified as lesbian said she began finding men more attractive after starting testosterone, a male sex hormone included in some steroid cycles.
So are steriods really capable of ‘turning’ someone’s sexuality?
A small subset of male users of anabolic steroids are now reporting a change in sexuality
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Anneliese Cadena, a board-certified Nurse Practitioner and consultant for Feel30, a men’s health clinic, said that steroids disrupt brain chemistry, which may account for perceived changes in sexuality – but that really this is about a shift in libido, not sexual preference.
Cadena said: ‘When patients are being administered testosterone under medical supervision, there can be improvements in sexual desire and libido, which can change sexual behavior, but this does not change orientation.’
She explained that sexual orientation and sexual behavior are different.
‘Sexual orientation is a person’s attraction to others and how they identify, while sexual behavior is what a person actually does with their sexual activities and relationships… it is a very large umbrella term that includes things like masturbation, partnered sex, and even nonphysical expression like sending a flirty text,’ she said.
In other words, steroid use may alter how often a person seeks out sexual activity, but not who they seek it with.
David DeMesquita, a functional health and bodybuilding coach, also told the Daily Mail that steroids can interfere with serotonin, a hormone that regulates mood, and dopamine, often called the ‘feel-good’ hormone that drives pleasure.
He said: ‘Dopamine is the big one because it creates habits and preferences. When tren reduces dopamine, it can change what people seek out sexually.’
Cadena agreed, saying: ‘Dopamine drives motivation, arousal, and reward-seeking. Think of it as helping sex feel pleasurable and reinforcing you to come back for more.
‘When dopamine pathways are disrupted [which occurs when taking steroids], it can influence what feels rewarding sexually.’
Experts said while steroids cannot make a straight user gay, they may bring repressed feelings to the surface (stock image)
She further explained that ‘too much serotonin can actually decrease libido.’ So when steroids throw of the balance of serotonin and dopamine, sexual preferences and desires change, which may lead a user to think their sexual orientation is actually changing.
Cadena also added that the way in which steroids tamper with natural testosterone levels also plays a large role, as the sex hormone ‘is a key driver of libido and motivation in all people,’ both men and women.
DeMesquita highlighted that higher testosterone typically raises desire. If a man or woman has elevated levels of testosterone, it can also change sexual desires, preferences and drive, and these changes may make a user think their sexual orientation is changing.
However, in some cases, DeMesquita said steroids can lead to the opposite effect and a loss of sensitivity in men’s erections, even after they’ve stopped taking the drugs, which may cause users to seek different types of stimulation.
Cadena explained: ‘When large doses are given, the brain stops telling the testes to produce its own testosterone because it’s getting it from somewhere else. Even when dosing is stopped, the brain isn’t always able to recover, and patients can suffer with low libido, low desire, and even erectile dysfunction.’
But both experts stressed that steroids don’t actually change a person’s orientation.
‘Steroids don’t just make you switch hit. They don’t make a straight man gay and they don’t make a gay man straight,’ DeMesquita said.
Cadena emphasized that these changes can affect how people act, but there is no research showing steroids actually change sexual orientation.
Anabolic steroid use has been linked to health issues like small testicles and low sperm quality (stock image)
Steroids are, however, widely used in the hyper-masculine bodybuilding industry, where men may suppress feelings of same-sex attraction. Extreme hormone levels and mood changes can cause those feelings to surface, leading users to question their orientation, according to DeMesquita.
But any changes in sexuality are often short-lived.
According to DeMesquita, some straight men develop an attraction to transgender or gay partners while abusing steroids, only to return to relationships with women once they stop using.
He also noted that inexperienced users often suffer extreme side effects because they increase doses when they don’t see quick results, which amplifies the risks.
Cadena highlighted the importance of medical supervision for users:
‘For men and women who suffer with low testosterone and receive therapy with a knowledgeable provider, it can be life-changing once levels are restored. But when unmonitored and high doses are used, this can suppress the brain’s signals and cause lasting problems.’
She added: ‘Testosterone can increase desire, motivation, and even impulsivity. At very high doses, it can change mood and behavior. But there is no evidence it changes sexual orientation.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .