The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) and other performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs): Patterns of use, motivations and opportunities for intervention
November 2014
Staff:
NDARC: Professor Louisa Degenhardt, Dr Briony Larance, A/Professor Lucy Burns, Professor Michael Farrell, Professor Jan Copeland, Ranira Moodley.
Project description:
There are indicators that the small group who use performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs) may be growing. There have been recent increases in number of Australian Needle and Syringe Program Survey (ANSPS) respondents reporting PIEDs as last drug injected. There have also been recent increases in detections of PIEDs at the Australian border – interceptions increased from 1,881 detections in 2008/09 to 8,314 detections in 2011/12. Border detections are now at the highest levels reported in the last decade. In 2011–12, the postal stream accounted for 91.5% of PIEDs detections by number. In addition, national steroid seizures and arrests have also increased and are the highest on record.
This project aims to describe patterns of AAS and PIEDs use; where people are sourcing them from and why; users' experience of harms; and users' utilisation of health services.
This study has two components:
- A literature review: A review of recently published literature (2004 to date) will be conducted to inform the development of the questionnaires.
- A quantitative survey of PIEDs users: A quantitative survey will be conducted with 150 people who have recently used AAS (outside a doctor’s prescription and/or for non-medical purposes) in New South Wales.
