Well I'm glad CopyCat is in this thread - as he has vastly more experience from the medical side of things than I do.
Question ... he's in his PCT technically - and no longer taking H-Drol ... sooooo ... is it even detectable at this point? I'm thinking that he probably has a lot of messed up hormone levels, and maybe even liver enzymes - but that's not proof itself of steroid use. To prove it - I believe they have to identify the specific compound. And ... well, is H-Drol even on their list for identification?
I believe the half life of Hdrol is pretty short so the compound is not likely in his system any longer - CC
Dunno - never saw anyone tested for steroids. Closest person to come to it was ME - when I actually got accused of juicing via a "comment / suggestion box" allegation (I hated those things). I was working for an Admiral at the time and I told him to "Go ahead, test me - this is all DEAD LIFT and SQUATS - nothing else." LOL
And that was the honest truth ...
He didn't test me because he trusted me. But there's more ...
The military has a serious problem in informing servicemembers just what substances are banned.
So true, it's near impossible to get a complete list of banned substances. BUT we all know how the UCMJ can be manipulated against members if they really want to. They state no steroids and manipulate that to mean any performance enhancing drugs particularly with article 134 the catch all article. Though in cases like this where a it may come up randomly through medical care it is far more unlikely. I would lean heavily in the other direction if they were pulling him aside and testing him because they suspected him already in the first place. -CC
And quite frankly, military leaders and lawyers run into a moral issue when attempting to prosecute someone for purchasing a legally available substance which, they may not have been aware (or at least it can't be proven they were aware) was banned by the military. What complicates this is ... first - the substances keep changing - new ones are developed every day and it's hard for the military to keep up with them all - or ensure their testing is effective against them all. Secondly - the NAMES keep changing - different companies clone these substances and they give them different names. The only sure fire way to properly identify them to troops and their leaders is via the chemical composition - and hell, YOU ALMOST NEED TO BE A CHEMIST TO UNDERSTAND THAT. Most troopies aren't going to remember what the chemical diagram for H-Drol is ... if it's even printed on the bottle they purchased.
When I was a Command Master Chief ... I had decided that the only way I'd advise a steroid test of a member is if ...
1. The steroid use was brutally obvious - as in, the guy talked about it ... promoted it amongst others in the command or ...
2. The use was impacting his performance within the command ... i.e. "Roid Rages" ... short temper ... an inability to deal with others.
3. Violence or spousal abuse ... in that case - may recommend it to figure out the problem if it's a possibility.
I would not have recommended it for a case of gyno with a good Sailor. I would probably just talk to him and tell him to "knock off" whatever **** he was doing - because next time it would be a problem.