What is the prevalence of anabolic-androgenic steroid use among women? A systematic review

Background and aim: Evidence suggests there has been an increase in anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use among women, driven by the evolving landscape of women's participation in sport. However, the extent of use is unknown. This systematic review aimed to estimate the prevalence of women's AAS use.

Method: We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles in English, focusing on AAS use among women aged 18 and above. We excluded grey literature and studies that measured doping through some form of analysis (e.g. urine or hair). Searched databases were MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SocINDEX, SPORTDiscus, Embase and Cochrane Library. Titles and abstracts for all articles were screened, followed by full-text assessment and data extraction of included articles by multiple authors for accuracy. The pooled prevalence of lifetime use was determined using a random effects model and the risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Prevalence Critical Appraisal Tool.

Results: Based on 18 studies, participant numbers averaged 669 per study (median = 189; range = 16 to 7051). The overall pooled AAS use prevalence was 4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2-9%) with high heterogeneity overall (I² = 95%). In the subgroup analysis, AAS use prevalence was 16.8% (95% CI = 11.0-24.9%, I² = 44%) in the bodybuilder subgroup, 4.4% (95% CI = 1.2-15.1%, I² = 93%) in athletes/recreational gym user subgroup, and 1.4% (95% CI = 0.4-4.7%, I² = 96%) in the general population/other subgroup. Meta-regression demonstrated significantly higher AAS use in bodybuilders compared with the other subgroup (P = 0.011).

Conclusion: Anabolic-androgenic steroid use among women appears to be substantially higher among bodybuilders and athletes/recreational gym users than the general female population.