Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use Among 1,010 College Men

In brief: Little is known about the prevalence of anabolic-androgenic steroid use in the United States. To obtain some initial information, the authors sent questionnaires to male students at three US colleges. Of the 1,010 respondents, 17 (2%) reported using steroids. Most were competitive athletes, but four used steroids primarily to improve personal appearance. Steroid users were not distinguishable from nonusers based on academic achievement or the use of other illicit drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol. The authors point out that the study is exploratory and that the results probably underestimate the true prevalence of steroid use in the United States.