Illegal use of HGH becoming more common among young males, study reveals

By Staff Writer

Some people link body image and low self-esteem issues to females because of the prevalence of eating disorders in the U.S. However, a new study reveals that many young males use illegal performance-enhancing drugs in order to improve their physique.

The findings, which appear in the American Journal on Addictions, show that illicit use of human-growth hormone (HGH) has become common among young men. HGH, which was once exclusively used by elite athletes, has become easily accessible for street users.

HGH, once an expensive performance-enhancing drug used exclusively by elite athletes, has become cheaply available for illicit users on the street. In a survey of 231 male weightlifters in the U.S., between the ages of 18 and 40, 12 percent reported that they had used HGH or a similar substance, such as anabolic-androgenic steroids.

Dr. Brian Brennan, the lead author of the study, said that long-term, high-dose use of HGH may have serious medical consequences, such as cardiac, endocrine and respiratory problems.

Furthermore, 15 percent of those surveyed said that they currently, or in the past, had been dependent on opioids, cocaine or ecstasy.

Adolescents who abuse illegal substances or suffer from low self-esteem may benefit from wilderness therapy, which aims to provide help for troubled teens.