Harm reduction researcher Dr. David Piatkowski of Griffith University recently published an important study. It highlights that steroid use among young female bodybuilding participants has dramatically increased. The steroids research in Queensland was based around a number of steroid checking trials. Most interestingly, it shows that half of the steroids preferred by women are actually underdosed. Female bodybuilders, meanwhile, have started going to social media to get inspiration from even further idealized physiques. That concern is driving how youth today think about and use performance-enhancing substances.
Dr. Piatkowski stresses the need for honest discussion and better safety standards with steroid consumers. The number of women globally abusing steroids has increased to 4%, compared to 1.4% in 2014. This more than 38x year on year increase is a clear indication that the bodybuilding world is changing very quickly. Women bodybuilders today are twelve times more likely to turn to anabolic steroids than other women. Instead, this unprecedented trend has alarmed the country’s leading health experts.
The impact of this research goes far deeper than the numbers. In Queensland, possession of steroids without a prescription can land you in prison for 25 years. You are now subject to a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Dr. Piatkowski puts non-medical steroids in the same category as Schedule 1 drugs like heroin, pointing to dangers of using them clandestinely.
Steroid Literacy and Harm Reduction
Dr. Piatkowski emphasized the need for “steroid literacy,” especially for female athletes. Although the cultural tide has turned, with more people understanding and accepting home delivery, Moore acknowledges that this wisdom is still maturing.
“Recently, there has been more steroid literacy emerging among women with leading steroid educators in this space, however, steroid literacy among this group is still developing,” – Dr Piatkowski.
He thinks that harm reduction strategies, including better education and outreach, are critical to reducing risks people face from higher doses and more unregulated products entering the market. As Dr. Piatkowski shares, much of the harm comes from the stigma and lack of access to regulated information.
“There are things we can do that actually minimize harm because a lot of the harm that we see comes from very high doses, unregulated products and structural harms like stigma …” – Dr Piatkowski.
Now, thanks to online shopping, obtaining steroids is easier than ever.
“We have an unprecedented level of access to an unregulated market. We can go onto Amazon and I can buy a bottle of testosterone right now,” – Dr Piatkowski.
Unfortunately, this accessibility will likely continue to propel the trend of steroid use among women looking to build their optimal physiques.
Social Media’s Role in Body Image
It’s the age of the fitness influencer—those flaunting “perfect” bodies all over Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and more. This constant bombardment is a major factor in increasing the pressures of steroid use among women. Dr. Piatkowski notes that normative body ideals have changed drastically in the past few years.
“Body ideals used to be skinny for women, and big and bulky for men. Some of the new research I’ve been doing has been looking at the convergence of those ideals,” – Dr Piatkowski.
We spoke to Jas Paterson, a 26-year-old natural bodybuilder and powerlifting coach to hear about her take on this emerging trend. In particular, she notes a rising use of steroids among women. It’s true, they all want to cater to today’s standards of the body beautiful.
“I definitely have seen more interest in females wanting to consider using things like steroids,” – Jas Paterson.
Paterson touches on the role of social media in forcing athletes to curate an image of perfection, and in turn, continuing the cycle of unrealistic expectations.
“We like to present ourselves as these very put together, almost perfect, idealistic bodybuilders because that is what sells and that is what people are drawn to,” – Jas Paterson.
Yet for all of these pressures, Paterson is refreshingly frank when it comes to addressing the difference between social media fantasy and reality.
“One of the things that I’ve really learnt over my years in the bodybuilding world and just social media in general is that there’s nothing true about that for me personally,” – Jas Paterson.
The Health Risks of Steroid Use
As the use of steroids in the female bodybuilding community becomes more accepted, the significant health risks associated with their use must be addressed. Dr. Piatkowski cautions women to understand the long-term and sometimes irreversible side effects. It’s really important to keep these risks in mind before choosing to use these substances.
“For women, there are a swathe of other side effects that they do need to be concerned about — facial hair growth, hair loss, voice changes … ,” – Dr Piatkowski.
He goes on to explain the rampant risk for serious complications from steroid abuse, ranging from irreversible acne to infertility.
“My research shows that they tend to experience acne at a slightly higher level, as well. And obviously, the really significant one is permanent infertility,” – Dr Piatkowski.
Dr. Piatkowski’s study sheds light on the quality of steroids, which is alarming. We ran more than 100 samples to test. Over a quarter of them were not as described and not what users believed they were purchasing.
“Out of well over 100 samples we tested, which were submitted by community — including men and women — over 25 per cent of those were a different steroid than what the person thought they were going to get,” – Dr Piatkowski.
His research findings indicate that around 6.9% of samples were overdosed. Together, these two items underscore an urgent need for better regulation and education around steroid use.
