[tt] Most steroid users are careful non-athlete body builders

[Hughes, James J.]

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1671137,00.html

Friday, Oct. 12, 2007

Steroids: Not Just for Athletes

By Michael D. Lemonick

Anyone who follows the news probably has a picture of the typical
steroid user: an elite athlete - a home-run hitter, say - trying to get
an edge on the competition, or a high-school or college kid who wants
desperately to get into the pros.

But while those cases make headlines, the stereotype turns out to be
largely off base, according to a new study published online in the
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. In a web-based
survey of nearly 2,000 self-prescribed steroid users (the stuff has
legitimate medical uses as well, such as correcting hormone imbalances),
it turns out that the typical user isn't a competitive athlete at all.
He (and it's pretty much always "he") is a highly educated professional,
about 30 years old, who doesn't participate in organized sports at all -
and never has. He uses steroids to build muscle, increase strength and
look good. And he does it, not as an easy, stand-alone shortcut to body
modification, but as a supplement to a carefully planned regimen of diet
and exercise. In short, says one internist: "They're gym rats."

A majority of steroid users say they'd be willing to consult with
doctors about their steroid use - in principle. In practice most didn't
actually reveal their habit to their physicians. The reason: they don't
believe doctors know a lot about the drugs, and they suspect that
physicians, like the general public, have an exaggerated idea about how
dangerous steroids really are. The users themselves tend to be aware of
side effects like liver damage, high blood pressure and behavioral
changes. That's why most users inject the steroids instead of taking
them by mouth, in order to better control blood levels and lessen the
risk of liver toxicity. A majority of habitual users also get blood work
at least once a year, probably to make sure the drugs aren't throwing
hormone levels too far out of balance.

The authors make it clear that they don't approve of the non-medical use
of steroids - but do believe that reducing the potential harm they can
cause is never going to be possible if nobody understand who the users
really are.