Exposure to hepatitis C among anabolic-androgenic steroid injectors in Victoria

People who inject illicit performance-enhancing drugs, of which anabolic–androgenic steroids are the most common, are an emerging area of research on blood-borne virus transmission.

Steroid injectors can experience serious or fatal health sequelae but these are rare and documented mostly as case reports. To date consumers have little knowledge of the hepatitis C virus and how its transmission might occur.

This project has one outreach worker who continues to deliver injecting equipment, referral services and health information to steroid injectors throughout metropolitan Melbourne. It is the only specific service steroid user in Victoria, but injecting equipment is available for free from needle and syringe programs throughout the state.