Gear is slang for the drug/medication testosterone. Its use is usually reserved only for sports where steroid use is regulated, most commonly bodybuilding and athletics (track and field). The use of this drug by ordinary healthy people leads to muscle mass gain, rapid weight gain (without adequate caloric intake), significant increases in strength, increased aggressiveness with the potential to cause more physical confrontations. The difficulty of detecting its presence in urine carries substantial implications in situations involving security screening, parole violation hearings, sports doping tests, and child custody cases.
The side effects of this medication are well documented (see Adverse Effects below). In addition, there is no evidence that gear is safe long-term even when used at approved dos under a doctor’s supervision. This is true for both men and women. By its design, the substance is meant to mimic testosterone in the body, but it does not occur naturally (endogenous).
This question refers to taking gear without having an active diagnosis of hypogonadism; there is no evidence that prescribing this drug to someone who does not need it is safe either. As with all medications, this drug should only be used when medically indicated (e.g., for treating low testosterone levels due to primary or secondary hypogonadism). This article often uses diagnosing a disease or physiological condition as synonymous with prescribing medication for the treatment of that disease/condition.
A formal response by professional medical association(s) shows possible links between certain types of physical injuries and illicit drug use, including hormones/steroids. Testosterone is one of many anabolic-androgenic steroid medications that some people use to enhance performance or appearance. For example, the following quote is from the American Medical Association website:
“Anabolic steroids are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, which promote skeletal muscle growth and secondary male sex characteristics. Illicit use of these substances has been associated with hypertension, hepatic dysfunction (including peliosis hepatis), hyperkalemia, hypogonadism, infertility, testicular atrophy, gynecomastia, premature closing. Of bony epiphyses in adolescents, and exaggerated libido.”
As side effects go, this list may appear benign compared to other medication lists; however, the severity of these side effects is significantly increased when taking this medication without a legitimate medical diagnosis.
To answer your question, gear is, in fact, an anabolic steroid created to mimic testosterone in the body. It has been found to have many side effects that are still currently being studied, but there are some ways it can affect your health over time if regularly used. Therefore, it should only be considered when medically indicated for treating hypogonadism. Again, it should never be recreationally (or otherwise), and anyone who is taking this drug recreationally is putting themselves at risk for numerous medical conditions and unwanted side effects.