Professional sports organizations often send memos to players and teams reminding them of important issues throughout the course of a season, but the latest from Major League Baseball is unlike many we have seen before it.
MLB issued a memo to players this week warning them of the potential risks associated with taking over-the-counter sexual enhancement pills that can often be purchased at gas stations, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. The notice stated that there have been at least two players suspended this year for performance-enhancing drugs due to banned substances that were found in the products.
The use of non-prescription sexual enhancement pills has reportedly become prevalent among MLB players, and the memo reminded players that they are subject to discipline even if they genuinely were unaware they were ingesting a banned substance.
“Sexual or male enhancement products present a very real risk for drug-tested players, and the high likelihood for contamination or unidentified ingredients in these products underscores the importance of consuming only those products that are NSF Certified for Sport,” the memo read.
The league went on to state that it has learned from experience that a number of sexual enhancement pills that can be purchased online and at retail stores contain anabolic steroids and other substances that will trigger positive tests. Players who suffer from legitimate issues related to their sexual performance were encouraged to seek help from licensed doctors rather than trying to treat the problem on their own.
It has become more and more common over the years for athletes to fail drug tests because of banned substances they were unaware they were ingesting, and we saw that recently with one NFL player who says a fertility drug triggered his positive test. Unfortunately, this is the world we now live in.
