how big is the problem of high school women using steroids?
CDC survey data show that over 5% of high-school women have used steroids. Separate data from National Institute of Drug Abuse surveys shows much lower usage among women, indicating that 1.1% of high-school aged women are using steroids. In both cases, the government data shows a disturbing trend, with reported steroid use among women increasing four-fold over the last decade. We’ll hear from at least one expert today who thinks that these government figures dramatically overstate the problem of steroid use among women, which he calls an “illusion.” And we’ll hear from a number of others who may be skeptical of the high-end estimates, but have little doubt that steroid use among women is growing, and represents a serious public health problem. I hope we can get to the bottom of this today. We don’t need to walk out of this room with a precise figure on the extent of steroid use by young women, but I hope we can determine if it is a serious public health problem, and if so, what we can
