Media exposure gives the underlying belief that the use of performance-enhancing drugs, specifically anabolic steroids and GH (growth hormone) are rampant among professional athletes. The scientific evidence among the prevalence of the nonmedical use of androgens within the U.S.A. is very limited. A recent report has indicated that since 1993 the lifetime use of androgens for nonmedical reasons has remained at a consistent 1% in the college student population (1). Considering that there are more than 40 million college graduates in this country (2), it can be estimated that more than 400,000 college graduates have used androgens during their lifetime. In addition, a recent survey has suggested that nearly half of all users of androgens hold a college degree (3). Considering that half do not, it may be further extrapolated that more than 800,000 individuals in the U.S.A. have used androgens during their lifetime. However, most surveys examining the nonmedical use of androgens have focused on collegiate and adolescent students and athletes.

 Adult use is generally limited to surveys of individuals who are self administering androgens. However, with the adult population,, the median age of individuals using androgens is 29 years, with nearly half of them holding at least a bachelors degree and more than 5% of self-admitted users holding a terminal degree (e.g., JD,MD or PhD) (3). Most adult users of androgens in the U.S.A. are whites (88.5%) and employed as professionals with yearly income exceeding that of the general population (3).

 Interestingly, the primary reason for drug use among the general population of androgen users appears to be related to increases in strength and muscle mass and wanting to ''look good'' (3,4). In addition to appearance, other reasons for drug use include reduction of body fat, improvement to mood, and attraction of sexual partners. Interestingly, of the 1,955 androgen-using males surveyed bodybuilding and sports performance were either not motivation for androgen use or of little importance (3). Often, media reports have focused on performance-enhancing drug use in professional athletes and youth, however the majority of adults who self-administer androgens for nonmedical purposes appear to be intelligent, economically stable, white men who are not competitive athletes.