Lawmakers Study Steroid Use Among Young Women

Steroid abuse may be thought of as a problem among men, but Congress is now investigating whether women are abusing anabolic steroids in the quest for a perfect body.

The House Committee on Government Reform holds a hearing on the issue today.

"Good Morning America" spoke with a young woman who used steroids for six months to drop fat and sculpt her muscles to advance her modeling career. Instead, her face broke out, her hair started thinning and she suffered psychiatric side effects.

"I was on edge," said the young woman, who asked to remain anonymous. "These pills were affecting my tolerance for anything, so it was basically a downward spiral."

A new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 7 percent of high school girls have tried steroids, although some experts say that figure is exaggerated.

"I would estimate the true rate of anabolic steroid use among teenage girls is probably at most a few tenths of a point," said Dr. Harrison Pope, a professor of psychiatry at McLean Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

A University of Michigan study suggests the total number of users might only be about 20,000 high school girls.

Young women who take steroids can stunt their growth and ruin their chances of having children. Because steroid use is related to body image, doctors say the same young women who develop eating disorders might now turn to steroids.

"The risk is so tremendous," said Dr. Todd Schlifstein of New York University School of Medicine. "In young females, it is catastrophic."