Younger men who use anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) experience a greater overall burden and complexity of harms than older men, new Griffith University research has found.
Researchers investigated whether age influenced the type of harms and health care challenges experienced by men who used AAS.
The study analysed data from 1,146 men who reported using AAS in the past 12 months.
PhD candidate from Griffith’s School of Applied Psychology, Ben Bonenti, said the findings were clear and challenged common assumptions about how steroid-related harms developed over time.
“Younger men, aged under 40 years, were significantly more likely to report psychosocial concerns such as anger and depression than older men aged over 40 years,” Mr Bonenti said.
“The younger cohort also reported physical concerns including hair loss and fertility issues.
“They also faced greater barriers to accessing health care, particularly with pharmacies and hospitals.
“These access barriers may compound existing harms by delaying or preventing appropriate care.”
The data showed these issues experienced by younger men often co-occurred as many individuals experienced multiple harms simultaneously rather than in isolation.
In contrast, older men who used AAS tended to report fewer and less complex harms, potentially reflecting safer compound sourcing, and greater integration with health care systems.
Mr Bonenti said the findings showed age alone did not explain patterns of steroid-related harm.
“Instead, they highlight the need for age-specific harm reduction strategies with an emphasis on younger men who appear to experience more complex harm profiles and greater difficulty engaging with support services,” he said.
“Tailored approaches may improve early intervention and reduce long-term health consequences, particularly as we see a global rise in the use of AAS.”
The paper ‘Understanding age-based differences in psychosocial harms, physical harms, and access difficulties among an international sample of men who use anabolic-androgenic steroids’ has been published in American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.
