“The compounds for females are really commonly faked!”: Women's challenges in anabolic steroid acquisition and the place of drug checking interventions

Introduction

Women who use drugs, particularly those using anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), encounter heightened social risks influenced by the legal status of AAS, varying regionally. In jurisdictions where AAS are legal, medical guidance and prescription are common, while in illegal regions, there are challenges associated with acquisition and safer usage. Therefore, we aimed to explore the experiences of women who use AAS in Australia, where these substances are criminalised, with a focus on the challenges they encounter in acquiring and using these drugs.

Methods

We focused on data from six women in a broader study interviewing 15 AAS users. The data were subjected to iterative inductive analysis, resulting in two theme-categories.

Results

Women who use AAS face distinct challenges in accessing reliable suppliers, with men seemingly having ‘easier’ access. Women experience this disparity as increasing their vulnerability to unsafe products, further compounded by their lack of knowledge regarding these substances. Moreover, mislabelling and counterfeiting of female-specific AAS substances is described to further compound these risks, reflecting the participants' expressed need for enhanced intervention and quality control in the AAS market.

Discussion and Conclusions

Ensuring product reliability, transparency and accountability are perceived as essential for the health and safety of women who use AAS. To address these issues, interventions should provide women with comprehensive drug checking services tailored to their health needs. ‘Steroid literacy’ must be an integral component, equipping women with knowledge to make informed decisions in the gendered AAS market.