In Brazil, anabolic steroid sales have risen by 670% in the last five years. This rapid increase isn’t motivated solely by gym rats, but also by physicians with a strong presence in social media that are using scientific misinformation to “legitimize” the wide prescription of these drugs for different health complaints, from fatigue to cognitive decline.
In a series of stories coordinated by the Ciência Suja podcast—and published in different outlets—the dirty science driving the Brazilian anabolic steroid market will be unraveled.
An hourlong episode in Ciência Suja focuses on an historical approach of the use of anabolic steroids, as well as the modus operandi of those physicians, that include the creation of unrecognized medical specialties, congresses, and online classes. The digital magazine AzMina, with a video and a data driven story, expands on the marketing strategies to sell anabolic steroids to women, based on societal pressures for the “perfect body.”
The magazine Veja Saúde (Editora Abril), part of the project, covers the use of anabolic steroids for rejuvenation purposes and unreasonable health claims, and the pseudoscience behind it. Núcleo Jornalismo looks at how anabolic steroids are advertised on social media, highlighting violations of public health criteria and the persistence of these ads. Finally, the “Olá, Ciência” YouTube channel details the prescription of anabolic steroids for muscle gain, and the false claims that they can be safe.
