ArticleDrug and alcohol review2025
Lead Astray? The Hidden Contaminants in Australian Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Market and Their Potential Health Impact.
Article in Drug and alcohol review, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Composition and Labelling Accuracy of Products Sold as Retatrutide in Australia.Drug and alcohol review · 2026Article
- Making 'safer injecting' matter for people who inject image and performance enhancing drugs.Health (London, England : 1997) · 2026Article
- Anabolic Androgenic Steroids: Emerging Use Disorder, Mechanisms of Action, and Clinical Considerations for Pharmacotherapy.Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing) · 2026Article
- Co-producing a peer-led health conversation tool for the health services workforce to facilitate safer use of anabolic-androgenic steroids.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Lead Astray? The Hidden Contaminants in Australian Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Market and Their Potential Health Impact.Drug and alcohol review · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionUnregulated anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) markets are a global phenomenon with significant variability in product composition and purity. This study aimed to determine the chemical composition of AAS sold in Australia.
methodsThis study analysed anonymously donated AAS samples. Samples were chemically analysed by an independent forensic laboratory using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma analysis to identify active ingredients, contaminants and heavy metals, with results interpreted in the context of harm reduction.
resultsAnalysis of 28 AAS samples (16 injectable, 10 oral, 2 raw powders) revealed that 15 samples were mislabelled or mis-sold. When considering the 21 samples with clearly defined expected labelled dosages, 4 of these were within a ±5% deviation of the expected purity. Twelve heavy metals were detected in injectable and oral products, with mean concentrations ranging from 0.07 to 62.54 μg/mL in injectables and 1.94-47,901 μg/g in orals. Seven metals were identified in raw powders (mean 23.0 μg/g, range 0.96-51.73 μg/g). DISCUSSION AND
conclusionsThe variability and contamination of AAS products pose significant health risks. Implementing a comprehensive surveillance and testing system is essential. This approach would track trends, identify contaminants and provide consumers with real-time, accurate information to support informed decision-making and harm reduction.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.