A gay journalist who took part in ‘gay cure’ therapy to expose the therapist practicing it has been nominated for an award.

Patrick Strudwick, whose article appeared in the Independent in February, is amongst five other writers competing for the Mind Journalist of the Year Award 2010.

Strudwick posed as a patient telling two therapists he constantly struggled to copw with his attraction towards men, and wanted to be straight.

One therapist tired to convince Strudwick that it was possible he was sexually abused as a child by a member of his family.

Strudwick said that he thought it was "extremely encouraging" that  Mind was recognising work on gay issues.

“Given that the British government did not strike homosexuality off its list of psychiatric disorders until 1993, the fact that Mind, Britain’s biggest, most respected and highest profile mental health charity is, in 2010, recognising my work exposing the scandalous practices of British psychiatrists and psychotherapists who claim they can make you heterosexual shows just how far the medical establishment has come in such a short space of time.”

He added: “I am thrilled and honoured to be shortlisted for this award. Mind do exceptionally important work on very limited means.

"I hope that their recognition of the abuses and lies inherent in attempts to 'cure' people of their sexuality makes everyone – the NHS, the Royal College of Psychiatry and all psychotherapy organisations – take all necessary steps to stamp out these malevolent practices once and for all."

The Mind Journalist of the Year will be announced on Thursday July 8th.

"It is free to vote, and you can vote each and every day. The more votes I have, the better chance I have of winning."

The competition is called Men Without Shirts, and borrows from the idiom "I would give the shirt off of my back to help others."

Men Without Shirts Competition benefits the Stop AIDS Project. With your help, you can help to make a difference in the lives of others.

This pandemic is of worldwide concern affecting millions of children and adults globally. Men Without Shirts Competition is a contest designed not only for exposure to male models worldwide, but also to draw attention to this global pandemic. Give the shirt off of your back and help bring an end to this devastating disease. Portions of the proceeds from this event support the Stop AIDS Project.

Celebrity judges will determine the winners on the day of the event based on overall looks, fitness, personality, and presence.  There will be one male crowned as "The Most Desirable Man In The World" and grand prize winner, two runner-ups and the top one hundred winners from online voting will be selected for calendar shoots and inclusion in a photography book titled, "The Most Desirable Men In The World."

The Semi Finals Begin - June 29, 2008 in San Francisco, CA. Keep watching this section for updates!

Please also send this out to everyone you know, and ask them to vote daily for me.

If you could also blast out a post on myspace or facebook, that would also be great.

Your help is much appreciated!

Thank you,

Rob Riches

While this is a pretty simple question that requires an in-depth answer, we’ll do our best to give you some basic information about these risks… Some of the main side effects of anabolic steroid abuse are trembling, severe acne, fluid retention, aching joints, high blood pressure, lower HDL (the “good” form of cholesterol), jaundice, and liver tumors.



Also, people who inject steroids with shared needles run the risk of contracting or transmitting hepatitis or HIV, the virus that causes AIDS…. so NEVER share needles!!!! Other side effects include: For Men: shrunken testicles, reduced sperm count, impotence, infertility, baldness, development of breasts, difficulty or pain in urinating, and an enlarged prostate.

 
For Women: growth of facial hair, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle, enlargement of the clitoris, deeper voice, and smaller breasts. For Adolescents: premature skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty leading to stunted growth. Studies have shown that extreme steroid abuse can cause wide mood swings including uncontrolled anger and aggressiveness that can lead to violent episodes. Users often become clinically depressed when they stop taking the drugs – a withdrawal symptom that may contribute to long-term dependence (This is why we encourage anyone considering steroid use to implement an appropriate post-cycle therapy program to combat these issues). Active users also may experience paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.

As most know, steroids are medically generated substance used for various purposes. Basically, steroids are used by bodybuilders, athletes, and people with active occupations. Some forms of steroids are used in performing surgeries and as pain reliever. However, the use of steroids requires a prescription from an authorized physician in all cases.

Every man secretes a hormone called testosterone, which is responsible for the physical growth during puberty. Anabolic steroids is chemically enhance the androgenic effects of testosterone, which make a man’s sexual features, develop fast. Because of this, a lot of men have used steroids to boost their penis size and erection.

The use of steroids entails a lot of negative effects to the body. Most steroids permanently damage the organs and other parts of the body … with the male reproductive organ one of the most susceptible to damage.

This is because, anabolic like hormones are also produced by the male reproductive organ. The use of steroids can cause temporary and permanent impotence. The effects of anabolic steroids is so strong that even increased libido or sexual desire will not make a penis erect. The penis may erect, but it may not really serve its purpose. In essence, the steroids paralyze the ability of the penis to perform its functions.

On the other hand, studies show that there is no direct linkage to penis shrinkage and steroids. Normally, a penis will remain smaller if the man lacks desire or sex drive. Add to that use of steroids … and whammo! … penis size remains diminished because of increased chances for erectile dysfunction and or impotence directly caused by the side effects of steroids.

When the damage has been done, every effort to bring back the usual form and function of the penis will be futile.

With everything said, steroids may not directly cause the shrinkage of a penis, but the use of steroids may aggravate the situation. Steroids may cause tremendous growth in the body, but the side effects (including negative sexual side-effects) should be more emphasized.

Scoring steroids on the street or on the Internet is possible … but extremely dangerous given the possible outcomes of improper use.

As advised, would be steroid user must be able to secure the necessary prescriptions from knowledgeable physicians able to monitor the substances side-effects … and take corrective measures.

If any of you are considering such action, make sure to do your reading and know exactly what you’re putting in your body and what to expect.

Scientists have finally come up with a pill that tricks your body into thinking it just exercised so you can develop strength, speed, muscle mass, endurance, hardness and more.

Many anabolic steroids are, of course, based on increasing testosterone levels; however, this new pill increases muscle mass via tricking the muscle into believing it just had a workout. It rebuilds the ‘lost’ muscle tissue, aka increasing muscle size, even without the workout.

What’s the ethical implication of such a drug? Well, expect this drug to be abused by every athlete to build speed and mass.

It will be the next steroid craze, and just wait until it’s in the open market kiddies!

There are actually two possible pills, AICAR and GW1516, both with the ability to help build muscle, increase stamina, and help with weight loss.

For the study, scientists split young adult mice up into two groups, with half of them taking part in exercise with the pill, and half taking part in exercise without the pill. The mice who took the pill were able to run for farther and faster, improving their endurance and speed. The mice who took the pill were able to run 77% longer, and 44% farther after a month taking the pill.

Many already forsee that athletes may be abusing the drug, which is why a test has already been developed to check for the drug in urine and blood samples… even before the drug’s public release!

This guy might be beautiful and ripped, but for all you roid rats and professional muscle steroid juicers out there this is what gynecomastia looks like!

Otherwise referred to as “bitch tits” or “gyno”, this is what happens to guys who don’t do post cycle therapy following a steroid juicing cycle… look at how this guy’s nipples look totally female in nature!

For those who don’t know what gyno is, it’s basically what happens when estrogen is present in the body. If you don’t know much about estrogen and steroid-use, do your research… this is one of the side effects!

The only way to get rid of bitch tits is outpatient surgery.

 

This is what happens to bodybuilders who run cutting steroids prior to competing in a bodybuilding show.

We don’t personally know this muscle man’s name, but he is clearly on some sort of cutting gear… perhaps winstrol, trenbolone, masteron, etcetera.

His muscled physique looks pretty darn amazing bursting out of that Under Armour Dri-Fit T-Shirt though, don’t you think?