Steroid conference - presented some of my research which includes u guys

[MairUnderwood(Researcher)]

In case you are interested here is the Anabolic Steroids UK conference that I was part of (I am at 4:52 if you are interested - just excuse the tiny bit of academic wankery - sorry, it's my job - before I get into what everyone has told me about steroid risk and how they reduce it).



Sorry about the lack of timestamps. I will talk to the organisers about this as it is not acceptable in this day and age!

The programme in case you want to hear the other talks (sorry you will have to scroll through to find them):
Session 1
Jim McVeigh (United Kingdom)- Introduction
Harrison Pope (USA) - Public health impact of AAS
Viv Hope (United Kingdom) - IPEDs injecting and harm
Astrid Bjornebekk (Norway) - Anabolic steroids and the brain
Q&A 1

Session 2
Sue Backhouse (United Kingdom) - The ‘dopogenic’ environment: image and performance enhancing drugs
Dominic Sagoe (Norway) - The global prevalence of anabolic-androgenic steroid use
Mayyada Wazaify (Jordan) - Anabolic steroid use in the Middle East
Q&A 2

Session 3
Ask Vest Christiansen (Denmark)- IPEDs – tracing a typology - this is about the different types of steroid user
Charlotte McLean (United Kingdom) - "It’s a man’s world?”
Mike Salinas (United Kingdom) - “...but I also like to play on weekends” - this is about your more YOLO user
Mair Underwood (Australia) - “...you are pretty much on your own” - this is my paper which is based on guys who tend to be more 'expert users' like the guys in this forum
Q&A 3

Session 4
Geoff Bates (United Kingdom) Treatment for anabolic steroid users
Ingrid Havnes (Norway) "Mind the gap”
Willem de Ronde (Holland) Experiences of an endocrinologist in an outpatient clinic
John Campbell (United Kingdom) The Glasgow experience
Q&A 4

Session 5
William Llewellyn (USA) Joseph Kean (United Kingdom) - Afternoon tea with Bill and Joe
Q&A 5

Ian Boardley (United Kingdom)
Closing remarks, evaluation, feedback, thanks to sponsors

 

[grey]

Nice to see more from you on this... hard to believe the info gathering was that long ago already. Watched your presentation, will have to make time for the rest too.

 

[MairUnderwood(Researcher)]

yeah,

Nice to see more from you on this... hard to believe the info gathering was that long ago already. Watched your presentation, will have to make time for the rest too.

yeah academia is a slow beast sometimes. thanks for making the time to listen. what did you think?

 

[grey]

what did you think?

I think the content was evenhanded and spot on...

I am unsure how your academic circles run but the only suggestion I might offer is to highlight the anecdotal examples you have from the interviews etc a bit more after your have raised a point.

The Anabolic labs project might also provide some support for the "users taking harm reduction into their own hands" discussion as well.

Nobody but the consumers ourselves raised the money to do lab testing on these products.

 

[eery]

I watched a few of the talks, most of them were very good and it seemed like they are on the righ track regarding harm reduction and helping users of PEDs take care of themself instead of shaming them and refusing to help them mainain their healh be it physiological or psychological.

Having had my own experience of being denied psychological help or even getting blood work done to oversee my health, its good to see its moving away from such bad practices.

I laughed at the one woman talking about OTC supplements being unregulated and dangerous and even a gateway to steroid use though. WOther then that speaker, everyone seemed to be very clued in and pro-active

 

[MairUnderwood(Researcher)]

I think the content was evenhanded and spot on...

I am unsure how your academic circles run but the only suggestion I might offer is to highlight the anecdotal examples you have from the interviews etc a bit more after your have raised a point.

The Anabolic labs project might also provide some support for the "users taking harm reduction into their own hands" discussion as well.

Nobody but the consumers ourselves raised the money to do lab testing on these products.

Glad you liked it. I have tried to put as much of the participants' voices in as I can but it was hard with he time limit.
Yes, I think funding your own labs is pretty good evidence that IPED users are not just crazy risk takers! i could only fit it in briefly in the presentation but hopefully will be able to say more in the paper that will be published on this in the near future

 

[MairUnderwood(Researcher)]

I watched a few of the talks, most of them were very good and it seemed like they are on the righ track regarding harm reduction and helping users of PEDs take care of themself instead of shaming them and refusing to help them mainain their healh be it physiological or psychological.

Having had my own experience of being denied psychological help or even getting blood work done to oversee my health, its good to see its moving away from such bad practices.

I laughed at the one woman talking about OTC supplements being unregulated and dangerous and even a gateway to steroid use though. WOther then that speaker, everyone seemed to be very clued in and pro-active

I hear a lot about being refused help to monitor health - it is fuckin disgusting. But you were denied psychological help too?
(I know, she was a bit OTT hey?)

 

[eery]

I hear a lot about being refused help to monitor health - it is fuckin disgusting. But you were denied psychological help too?
(I know, she was a bit OTT hey?)

yes. lol.

 

[grey]

But you were denied psychological help too?

It varies a lot I know, but around where I am, the number of headshrinkers is so limited compared to the number of Court Ordered treatments that getting treatment for anything beyond recreational drug addiction or female eating disorders voluntarily is iffy.

Steroid use gets tossed into the bin as a "male dysmorphia" which ranks right below "no one gives two shits" for patient triage.

 

[Millard]

Sorry about the lack of timestamps. I will talk to the organisers about this as it is not acceptable in this day and age!

Here's the clip of just your presentation:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNLZiYf8bc4

 

[MairUnderwood(Researcher)]

Thanks Millard

Here's the clip of just your presentation:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNLZiYf8bc4

I am really starting to think through this stuff for publication and as a colleague pointed out it is not necessarily the illegality of AAS that holds back knowledge as bodybuilders said in what I presented here. we know a fair bit about heroin for example and it is illegal. he also felt like a lot of the lack of support may be due to a failure of users to engage rather than any stigmatisation. If anyone has any thoughts please let me know as I want to publish the best paper possible that accurately reflects the feelings of the community

 

[Millard]

Thanks Millard

I am really starting to think through this stuff for publication and as a colleague pointed out it is not necessarily the illegality of AAS that holds back knowledge as bodybuilders said in what I presented here. we know a fair bit about heroin for example and it is illegal. he also felt like a lot of the lack of support may be due to a failure of users to engage rather than any stigmatisation. If anyone has any thoughts please let me know as I want to publish the best paper possible that accurately reflects the feelings of the community

I think AAS illegality definitely holds back knowledge but not necessarily in the way most people would think. Not for the 'dedicated bodybuilder'. Maybe pre-internet this was an issue. But the internet changed everything.

Instead, AAS illegality and stigmatization has historically stifled the pursuit of knowledge moreso in the research and medical communities and continues to do so although to a lesser degree nowadays.

As far as the lack of support vs. failure of engagement...

You did a good job covering the distrust that I think still keeps engagement down.

The benefits AAS users receive from engagement have not been overly compelling. Up until relatively recently, most health professionals and even well-meaning harm reduction advocates were woefully ill-informed. The 'dedicated bodybuilders' were the ones teaching the teachers. It's changing but perhaps not enough just yet.

You've also previously discussed the issue of AAS users not perceiving themselves as having any problem. They have no incentive to engage.

AAS users as a group are very different for most other illicit drug users. They are usually gainfully-employed and high-functioning members of society. The may be better prepared to manage any consequences.

So your colleague may be right. The demand for support may not be there. Which could lead to lower support.

It doesn't mean we shouldn't do more to increase engagement on our end. And lobby for greater support at the same time.

Something I haven't seen discussed very much is how the experiences of AAS users differ across different regions. The experiences of AAS users in the US are vastly different than those in UK/EU and Australia.

I think there are reasons that the explosion of research into AAS harm reduction has taken place outside of the US. An exploration these reasons would be interesting.

Relatedly, another issue that may contribute to lack of engagement involves privatized vs socialized health care.

In the US, engagement with the healthcare system as a AAS users could likely mean that you are rejected for life insurance and/or categorized as uninsurable with preexisting conditions for health insurance purposes (which could be significant depending on the direction of healthcare reform in the US).

This isn't really an issue in UK and EU countries where healthcare is a fundamental right.