UK Anti-Doping’s national awareness week, Clean Sport Week, takes place from 13th to 17th May. The week aims to promote training and competing ‘clean’ which includes without the use of image and performance enhancing drugs, known as IPEDs.
A 2019 survey of UK gym users found that a third were aware of people taking IPEDs while nearly a sixth knew someone suffering from the side effects of IPED use.
The most well-known IPEDS are anabolic steroids such as testosterone, nandrolone and stanozolol which are frequently injected. Social media, exposure to ‘body image influencers’, the popularity of the ‘Love Island look’ and a normalisation of injecting practices have all been cited as reasons behind IPED use.
Regularly taking anabolic steroids can lead to physical and psychological changes in both men and women as well as dangerous conditions such as heart attack, stroke, liver and kidney failure, high blood pressure and blood clots.
The Alcohol and Drug Harm Reduction Team provides support for people using IPEDS. You can access the free confidential service Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm, at Maison Le Pape, 1-2 Hampton Place, The Parade, St Helier, JE2 3PU. Tel: 01534 445014 or 01534 445000.
The service offers free sterile equipment and advice. If you would like support to reduce or stop steroid use, you can contact the service or your GP.