PMID- 31366349
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20191031
LR  - 20231013
IS  - 1471-2458 (Electronic)
IS  - 1471-2458 (Linking)
VI  - 19
IP  - 1
DP  - 2019 Jul 31
TI  - Support for people who use Anabolic Androgenic Steroids: A Systematic Scoping 
      Review into what they want and what they access.
PG  - 1024
LID - 10.1186/s12889-019-7288-x [doi]
LID - 1024
AB  - BACKGROUND: Since there is a paucity of research on support for people using 
      Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS), we aimed to identify and synthesise the 
      available evidence in this field. Gaining an understanding of the support both 
      accessed and wanted by recreational AAS users will be of use to professionals who 
      provide services to intravenous substance users and also to those working in the 
      fields of public health and social care, with the aim to increase engagement of 
      those using AAS. METHODS: A systematic scoping review of the literature to 
      explore and identify the nature and scope of information and support both 
      accessed and wanted by non-prescribed AAS users. Any support services or 
      information designed to help people who use AAS were considered. RESULTS: We 
      identified 23 papers and one report for review, which indicated that AAS users 
      access a range of sources of information on: how to inject, substance 
      effectiveness, dosages and side effects, suggesting this is the type of 
      information users want. AAS users sought support from a range of sources 
      including medical professionals, needle and syringe programmes, friends, dealers, 
      and via the internet, suggesting that, different sources were used dependent on 
      the information or support sought. DISCUSSION: AAS users tended to prefer peer 
      advice and support over that of professionals, and access information online via 
      specialist forums, reflecting the stigma that is experienced by AAS users. These 
      tendencies can act as barriers to accessing services provided by professionals. 
      CONCLUSIONS: Support needs to be specific and targeted towards AAS users. 
      Sensitivity to their perceptions of their drug-use and the associated stigma of 
      being classified in the same sub-set as other illicit drug users is relevant to 
      facilitating successful engagement.
FAU - Harvey, Orlanda
AU  - Harvey O
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-0771-3524
AD  - Bournemouth University, Lansdowne Campus, Royal London House, 109 Christchurch 
      Road, Bournemouth, BH1 3LT, UK. harveyo@bournemouth.ac.uk.
FAU - Keen, Steve
AU  - Keen S
AD  - Bournemouth University, Lansdowne Campus, Royal London House, 109 Christchurch 
      Road, Bournemouth, BH1 3LT, UK.
FAU - Parrish, Margarete
AU  - Parrish M
AD  - Bournemouth University, Lansdowne Campus, Royal London House, 109 Christchurch 
      Road, Bournemouth, BH1 3LT, UK.
FAU - van Teijlingen, Edwin
AU  - van Teijlingen E
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-5523-8583
AD  - Bournemouth University, CMMPH, Bournemouth House, 19 Christchurch Road, 
      Bournemouth, BH1 3LH, UK.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Systematic Review
DEP - 20190731
PL  - England
TA  - BMC Public Health
JT  - BMC public health
JID - 100968562
RN  - 0 (Anabolic Agents)
RN  - 0 (Testosterone Congeners)
SB  - IM
MH  - Anabolic Agents/*administration & dosage
MH  - Drug Users/*psychology
MH  - Humans
MH  - *Professional-Patient Relations
MH  - Testosterone Congeners/*administration & dosage
PMC - PMC6670144
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Advice
OT  - Androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS)
OT  - Harm minimisation
OT  - Image and performance enhancing drugs (IPED)
OT  - Information
OT  - Needle and syringe Programmes (NSPs)
OT  - Support
COIS- The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
EDAT- 2019/08/02 06:00
MHDA- 2019/11/02 06:00
PMCR- 2019/07/31
CRDT- 2019/08/02 06:00
PHST- 2019/01/15 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2019/07/09 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2019/08/02 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2019/08/02 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2019/11/02 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2019/07/31 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.1186/s12889-019-7288-x [pii]
AID - 7288 [pii]
AID - 10.1186/s12889-019-7288-x [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - BMC Public Health. 2019 Jul 31;19(1):1024. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-7288-x.