When adolescent changes appear to spurt ahead at warp speed, parents should consider whether or not their teenager is taking steroids. Unfortunately this over-simplification doesn't always work, because kids mature at different times, at different rates, and sometimes even under differing social environments, with competitive sports and “looking good” often in the mix.

Most recent surveys find that 3%-4% of high school students self-report use anabolic (muscle building) steroids at some time. Given underreporting flaws, that figure is likely a low-ball estimate. These prescription drugs are easy to obtain on the Internet and are all based on chemical modifications of testosterone, the potent male hormone. And females are included in this tally. When it comes to kids, the acronym for human performance-enhancement (HPE) is often expanded to HPEA, with the A referring to appearance.