Anonymous asked:

I like reading your blog. I don't umderstand why it's never brought (well, it's women stuff) but many top female athletes were taking testosterone to improve their results (USSR for ex.). Follow up on these athletes shows how many health problems they've had but i don't have studies. It's very long-term so a good indication. You might consider loonking into it. :)

4thwavenow answered:

Thanks for the great suggestion. Would anyone like to reblog this who has good info/links right now about female athletes who have used testosterone?

roslynholcomb:

roslynholcomb:

I don’t have any research, but I do know that it was a big deal with the East German swimmers back in the 1970s. At least one transitioned because the hormones impacted her so much. Others complained about being sick and there might have been legal settlements made. 

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/dopings-darkest-hour-the-east-germans-and-the-1976-montreal-games/

http://www.newsweek.com/east-germanys-steroid-shame-253840

And another reader sent me more links. Excerpt from the 2004 New York Times piece:

The words used in court were that the giving of relatively high doses of Oral-Turinabol to a girl around puberty has significantly contributed to development into transsexuality,“ said Franke, the molecular biologist whose research into the East German doping system formed the basis of the criminal prosecutions.          Although the complex decision to have a sex change could not precisely be connected to steroids, the psychologist Ungerleider said,

"Emotional fallout from high levels of testosterone can make people unsure who they are.”  

http://www.exberliner.com/features/lifestyle/doped-and-dropped%3A-the-endless-plight-of-former-east-german-athletes/

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/31/1193618974100.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/26/sports/othersports/26STER.html