Use, Misuse, and Addiction to Anabolic Steroids
Testosterone isn’t just for males, body builders, or athletes anymore
By Mark S Gold
Published by Psychology Today on September 16, 2025
Key points
• Testosterone and “boosters”—often herbal or vitamin‑based products—represent a $1B and $3.7B global market.
• Synthetic testosterone drugs elevate libido, competitiveness, confidence, energy, lean muscle mass, and mood.
• Testosterone use is increasing as its performance-enhancing effects are appealing to men, women, and athletes.
Synthetic testosterone, also known as anabolic‑androgenic steroids (AAS), is a controlled drug prescribed for delayed puberty in boys, testosterone (T) deficiency in adults, breast cancer, gender dysphoria, and other disorders. They are Schedule III drugs. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), anabolic steroids are also drugs of abuse. About 3–4 percent of men in the United States report lifetime AAS use, compared with 0.5–1 percent of women. The prescription testosterone market in the United States is substantial and growing, with more than 5 million prescriptions written annually and an estimated $1 billion in sales.
