The media reports the story of Heidi Kreiger as a testament to the dangers of anabolic steroids at least once a year. Anabolic steroids, Oral Turinabol specifically, allegedly converted Heidi Krieger into a man - Andrea Krieger. The side effect is not only a reference to the known virilizing or masculinizing effects of steroids on physical appearance; the claim is that steroids actually changed the sexual preference of Heidi Krieger. Of course, there have been no other documented cases. Androgens are thought to influence sexual preference but ONLY PRENATALLY. Yet, the media never questions the claim when report the Heidi Krieger to Andreas Krieger transformation.

Heidi Krieger, the 1986 European women’s shot-put champion, became Andreas Krieger after a sex-change operation in 1997. He says he had been fed so many steroids by his coaches without his knowledge that physical and emotional problems began.

The young woman’s physique changed drastically, as did her feelings. “I felt much more attracted to women and just felt like a man. But I knew I was not lesbian,” Krieger told CNN.

Her coaches said they were giving her vitamin pills, but they were actually feeding her Oral-Turinabol anabolic steroids.

The administration of anabolic steroids, forcibly and against their will, to East German young athletes is a despicable period in the history of sports. However, the evils of the GDR sports machine does not give license to embellish and manipulate the truth in order to demonize steroids.

The story of Heidi Krieger / Andreas Krieger is a tragic one without blaming steroids for a change in the sexual preference of Krieger. No one can dispute the fact the the women of the GDR who were involuntarily given steroids have suffered tremendously.

The irony of the story is that Andreas Krieger is most likely on lifelong maintenance therapy with the anabolic-androgenic steroid testosterone to maintain the secondary sexual characteristics of a man.