Australia sees rise in steroid use but there are 'no clinical guidelines' yet; expert warns health sector as concern over drugs ‘explodes’ in country

The use of steroids is increasing at a rapid rate in Australia and is on the verge of becoming probably one of the biggest causes of concern for the country. What makes matters worse is that the situation is alarming despite the ban on its non-medical use. Australian drug data shows that in the seven years to 2022-23, there was an almost 40 per cent increase in the rate of Australians who ever used steroids, ABC reported.

There are certain steroids which are used for medical purposes but are not safe, to say the least. One of them is anabolic androgenic steroids. They are synthetic drugs that mimic the male hormone testosterone. According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, they can be used for medical reasons, including hormone issues, or non-medically to build strength and muscle mass, as reported by ABC News.

There is ‘absolute explosion’ in number of Australians taking up steroids, says researcher




Australia has banned the non-medical use of drugs and dubbed it illegal. Despite this, there has been an "absolute explosion" in the number of Australians taking up steroids in recent years, according to University of Queensland steroid researcher Tim Piatkowski, ABC News reported.

Border detections recently were at record levels, rising 64 per cent in 2020-21 compared with the previous year, which made matters even worse. Dr Piatkowski noted that despite the fact that the situation is getting out of hand, the health sector has not kept up with this surge in uptake. He also stated that Australia doesn't even have standardised clinical guidelines for how to safely quit or recover from steroids.

What are Anabolic androgenic steroids?

Considered as manufactured forms of testosterone, the technical term for Anabolic steroids is “anabolic-androgenic steroids” (AAS), according to Cleveland Clinic. “Anabolic” refers to tissue building (mainly muscle), and “androgenic” refers to a group of sex hormones called androgens.

Steroid users turning to online forums



Dr Piatkowski has said that many steroid users have been told by doctors to "just stop" or "you've done this to yourself," as quoted by ABC News. "That stigma really stops people from having open and transparent discussions," he says.

Several users have instead turned to online forums and social media for advice on how to quit or manage steroids. Expressing his concern, he said that this can leave them vulnerable to inconsistent, inaccurate or even dangerous advice, he said. "Some people [appear] to be more focused on short-term health improvements rather than long-term health promotion or longevity," he added.

‘Quitting steroids can already be a risky process’

Dr Piatkowski has said that withdrawal symptoms can include severe fatigue, muscle and bone density loss and, most dangerous of all, depression, which can lead to suicidal thoughts.


Australia's health sector needs to do more work, says Piatkowski



Dr Piatkowski has stated that now it is really important for Australia's health sector to do more work in this area. The efforts towards this direction can include sharing knowledge with online forums and influencers. "Options are there," he said.