{
  "id": 20178510,
  "title": "Steroid users face triple the risk of long-term erectile dysfunction",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/steroid-users-face-triple-the-risk-of-long-term-erectile-dysfunction",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-15T13:00:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PsyPost",
    "slug": "psypost",
    "url": "https://www.psypost.org/steroid-users-face-triple-the-risk-of-long-term-erectile-dysfunction/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A research study conducted by a team of clinical pharmacologists has revealed a significant link between steroid use and an increased risk of long-term erectile dysfunction. Published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, the findings indicate that men who have ever used anabolic steroids are three times more likely to require prescription medications for impotence compared to non-users.\n\nAnabolic-androgenic steroids, synthetic variations of the male sex hormone testosterone, are sometimes prescribed by doctors to treat specific medical conditions. However, they are widely abused by athletes and bodybuilders to boost muscle mass, reduce body fat, and enhance physical performance. Despite being strongly associated with competitive sports, these substances have a much broader reach within the general population. Approximately six percent of men worldwide are estimated to use anabolic steroids during their lifetime.\n\nThe human body's regulatory system for hormone production operates through a negative feedback loop known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. This system is disrupted when an individual consumes large quantities of artificial testosterone through steroid use. The brain perceives the hormone overload and halts the production of natural testosterone in the testicles. This suppression leads to a condition called hypogonadism, characterized by a significant reduction in the body's ability to produce sufficient testosterone on its own.\n\nLow testosterone levels can result in various symptoms, including fatigue, depression, muscle loss, and sexual health problems such as erectile dysfunction. A research team led by Magnus Middelboe at Copenhagen University Hospital-Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg sought to determine the long-term impact of steroid use on erectile dysfunction risk. To achieve this, they designed a longitudinal cohort study using health records from Denmark, a country with comprehensive national databases tracking medical treatments and prescriptions.\n\nThe researchers identified steroid users through records from Anti-Doping Denmark, a national organization responsible for monitoring performance-enhancing drug usage. The cohort included men sanctioned under the anti-doping program, encompassing both those who tested positive for steroids and those who were suspected users but refused testing. To ensure a valid comparison group, the researchers matched each steroid user with men of the same age from the general Danish population, controlling for factors such as education and occupation.\n\nThe study tracked the health data of the participants for an average of 10 years, focusing on the onset of erectile dysfunction. Prescription data from the Danish National Prescription Register was used to identify men who filled prescriptions for erectile dysfunction medications like sildenafil or tadalafil. Statistical models were employed to compare prescription rates between the steroid users and the control group, accounting for socioeconomic disparities.\n\nThe research found that steroid users were 3.2 times more likely to start taking medication for impotence than the general population. Additionally, among those who sought treatment, steroid users filled twice as many prescriptions as the control group. The findings underscore the severe biological consequences of steroid use and highlight the urgent need for greater awareness and prevention efforts to protect individuals from the long-term health impacts associated with these substances.",
  "summary": "Men who use anabolic steroids to build muscle face a substantially higher risk of long-term erectile dysfunction. A new study shows that even years after starting the drugs, steroid users are three times more likely to require impotence medication.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}