According to reports, a surgeon in the UK speculated that many men with gynecomastia may feel uncomfortable having breast reduction surgery because of emotions of humiliation. This follows reports that revealed British men to be at risk of growing breasts due to performance enhancing drugs abuse.
Due to the shortcuts they use, many British men’s efforts to get buff could have some unfavorable outcomes for them.
In their desire to get fitter, approximately one million men and women in the UK turn to taking anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing medications, according to MailOnline. For men, abusing steroids can result in the development of breast tissue, known as gynecomastia.
Since 2020, Signature Clinics’ chief surgeon, Dr. John Skevofilax, has performed over 600 gynecomastia surgeries. He told the media outlet that he suspects several more men have this issue but choose to suffer silently out of embarrassment.
“Tens of thousands of men are at risk of gynecomastia” as a result of using appearance and performance enhancing medications, according to Skevofilax.
“Many don’t seek any advice before starting taking them, and the link between these drugs and this condition is well known,” he added. “And while some men are comfortable having breast reduction surgery, there will be many who don’t because they are embarrassed. It is these people who will suffer in silence from the physical and emotional damage caused by gynecomastia.”
The media outlet notes that while previously thought to be only used by bodybuilders and “high-performing athletes,” the use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs has gained notoriety among the general public. This prominence is attributed to “unrealistic male body images promoted on social media and seen in Hollywood and on reality TV shows,” according to the media organization.