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The Stigma of Anabolic Steroid Use
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 06:06 authored by Griffiths, S, Murray, SB, Jon MondJon MondLittle is known about the stigma of anabolic steroid use despite clear implications for treatment-seekers and for public policy development. We investigated the predictors of steroid stigma and contextualized the results by comparing steroids with marijuana. Undergraduates (N = 304) completed measures of drug stigma, exposure to drug users, and history of drug use. Participants stigmatized steroid use more than marijuana use—a very large effect. Participants reported less exposure to steroid users. Nevertheless, 15% of participants reported having a steroid-using friend. History of drug use, but not exposure to steroid users, predicted lower steroid stigma. Drug use and exposure both predicted lower marijuana use stigma. The amount of stigma expressed toward steroids is commensurate with that of “hard” drugs, such as heroin, likely constituting a formidable barrier to treatment. The public’s difficulty empathizing with male body image insecurities may partially explain why exposure to steroid users did not predict lower stigmatization.
History
Publication title
Journal of Drug IssuesVolume
46Issue
4Pagination
446-456ISSN
0022-0426Department/School
School of Health SciencesPublisher
J Drug Issues IncPlace of publication
United StatesRights statement
© The Author(s) 2016Repository Status
- Restricted