The statistics here are unbelievable. I'm sure there's some methodological problem that casts doubt on the study. 21% of gay kids use steroids? No way on earth that's true.
Maybe the percentages are off, but you can't sign on to Grindr for a second without knowing the gay community has a real problem with steroids. Never mind the fact that masculine "bro" types are very trendy right now, making the existing problem of widespread gay body dysmorphia even worse.
Well, you don't need to use steroids to be in good shape. Gay men work out more often than straight men, for sure. So, it's pretty difficult to say based on a person's physique, unless they're a bodybuilder.
In any case, there is a huge problem in the gay community with use of methamphetamines, MDMA and cocaine. In comparison to those drugs, steroids are actually fairly benign drugs.
I'm not sure what makes you think those drugs are more harmful than steroids (even meth).
The side effects of anabolic steroids are really overstated in the media and they're generally reversible once you stop taking them. There also isn't the same type of addiction as narcotic drugs or speed.
One major side effect of anabolic steroids is having your body's own ability to create hormones permanently impacted. Another major side effect of steroids is cancer. Lots and lots of experimenters from the 60s and 70s are very much dead. That's not saying there isn't a safe way to use steroids -- generally, they're fine when prescribed by a physician. But let's be honest, it's a drug that requires a hypodermic needle to administer, and that's kinda a
big deal.
Realistically, though, steroids are not chemically addictive. Meth and coke definitely are, and represent a bigger threat for that reason. MDMA is not especially addictive or dangerous, though its use can cause long-term issues with brain chemistry and depression.
