The Infectious Complications of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Injection

 

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One million individuals in the United States alone are estimated to be current or past users of anabolic-androgenic steroids. In the United States fifty-percent of anabolic-androgenic steroid users administer their compounds intramuscularly, and twenty-five percent of adolescent anabolic-androgenic steroid users share needles, placing these young adults at risk for infections related to injection.

To examine the medical literature for reports of infections attributable to anabolic-androgenic steroids, we conducted a MEDLINE (1966 - 1998) and AIDSLINE (1980 - 1998) world literature review to examine all references that attributed infections to anabolic-androgenic steroid injection. Infections associated with anabolic-androgenic steroid injection include three cases of HIV, one case of hepatitis B, one case of hepatitis C, eight abscesses, and a case of fungal endophthalmitis. No cross-sectional or prospective studies exist that document the risk of infections related to anabolic-androgenic steroid injection. These serious infectious complications of anabolic-androgenic steroid injection may be avoided with education and prevention techniques. Infections occurring in anabolic-androgenic steroid users are not as common as in intravenous drug users.

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1 This work is supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse K20 grant, DA00268 to Josiah D. Rich M.D., M.P.H.

M.P.H. M.D. Josiah D. Rich

The Miriam Hospital

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Email: Josiah_Rich@brown.edu