“I’ve done several cycles and I get a lot more attention when I’m bigger. That is what most guys want.” -35-year-old, works in retail
“The gay world is competitive and you have to keep up.”- 40-year-old, white-collar professional
“I see other gay men on Scruff [app] or at parties and think, I can get my body to that level too.” - 48-year-old, white-collar professional
“I’ve reached a plateau from working out and this (steroids) gives me the boost I need to add more muscle.” - 45-year-old, white-collar professional
These are the typical comments collected while surveying gay men in order to better understand the motivations behind steroid usage.
More alarmingly, 29% of gay men anonymously admitted using steroids.
This is not doctor prescribed testosterone for those men with low levels of T (testosterone), but specifically illegally obtained steroids. Alarmingly, the numbers reported are lower as many people do not feel comfortable admitting to using illegal substances via a survey.
How did this break down by age?
Younger respondents, ages 21 to 35, revealed less incidence of steroid usage, under 20%. Older gay men, ages 45 to 60, are almost double that of their younger peers.
What is shocking is that even 20% usage among young gay men is concerning. A February 2014 study by the Journal of Pediatrics reported, “21 percent of gay or bisexual respondents indicated they had used steroids to promote muscle gain and improve body image as opposed to only 4 percent of heterosexual respondents who reported steroid use.” http://www.reuters.com/article/us-gay-and-bisexual-idUSBREA1215C20140203 This is concerning as it signals usage of steroids for young gay men starts very early.
Peg Murphy, Associate Professor, in the Communication and Media Innovation Department at Columbia College Chicago, and I have been analyzing advertisements, social media, gay dating sites and gay hook up apps for several years to understand how various media vehicles and peer influence affect body perception within the gay community.
Our research includes the survey of 1,032 gay men, ages 21 to 70+, recruited via social media, websites, blog posts and various LGBTQ resources. They responded to a 23 question survey and answered open-ended questions to better understand key motivating factors that perpetuate self -image. Study participants reflected a wide variety of ages, with the greatest concentration, 24.7% being between 45-50, followed by 15.5% between 41-44, and 13.9% between 35-40 years old. Participants also reflected a variety of job types and professions, with the majority, 47% of occupations being white-collar professionals.*
When asked about repeat or perpetual usage of steroids, subjects reported the following:
“I look in the mirror during a cycle and see the results, but I think it’s not enough. I can always get bigger and more ripped.” - 40-year-old, white-collar professional
“I was 165lbs and shredded. I added 25lbs of muscle and never attracted more men. Gay men love muscular men.” - 35-year-old, works in retail
“You need to do a few cycles to really pack on the muscle and lean out. You should do it right if you are going to do it.” - 45-year-old, white-collar professional
When asked about side effects and if they were concerned, some of the responses included:
“Nothing major. A bit of acne on my back.” - 35-year-old, works in retail
“I get a bit more agitated/aggressive at times.” - 40-year-old, white collar professional
“My balls shrank a bit during the cycle, but were fine afterward.” - 45-year-old, white collar professional
Those interviewed were not concerned about the long-term effects commonly reported by the media (liver damage, heart damage, high blood pressure, etc.). Perhaps because these effects are internal and cannot be seen.
Conversely, many positive side effects were also conveyed:
“I have the best sex I’ve had since my early 20’s.” -55-year-old, white collar professional
“The energy I get is unreal. My workouts are intense and I can keep going harder.” -38-year-old, real estate professional
Psychologically, we found that both the increase in sex drive and energy play a role in repeat usage. Importantly, the increase in self-confidence generated from the attention of other men as well as the change in body also played a role in repeat usage.
We wanted to further understand other motivating factors that are driving male appearance and body image. Following are some of the responses:
“Too many men feel pressure from their partners, and other men.” - 41-44-year-old, masseur
“.... competition for sexual partners and attention.” - 45-50 year old, white collar professional
“The gay community's obsession with physical appearance. The judgment you can feel when you go out and do not look a certain way; people will not even say hello to you if you are not their type.” - 31-34 year old, medical professional
“I feel inundated with images of lean, muscular men through social media.” - 31-34-year-old, white collar professional
“Hook up apps—Grindr, Scruff, etc.”-31-34 year old, medical professional
Interestingly, in all our research, the underlying motivators behind body image were not as heavily focused on the media and pop culture as previous research suggests; rather, critical body image influencers were: peer influence within the gay community.
The peer pressure to build the ‘ideal’ body can be overwhelming at times. Many gay men are using steroids to give them the added boost without any thoughts about the negative risks. How can we as a community be less critical on ourselves and those around us? I will explore that in more detail in Part II, ‘Building Your Emotional Muscle.’
*Research limitations include the sampling technique from both the survey and interviews. Respondents were recruited via key gay men blogs, sites and social media, as well as LGBTQ support resources. Inherent “snowballing” bias may have occured as some gay men may have recruited others with similar behaviors and attitudes as themselves.
Tags: #QueerVoices #Gay #Gaymen #Bodyimage #Body #Steroids #Health