ABSTRACT
Based on the media’s rather stereotypical representation of people who use anabolic steroids, one might expect the book’s user-informants to have very similar experiences, motives and attitudes to their steroid use. In fact, they do not. To illustrate this, Chapter 6 takes a closer look at four personal accounts, the purpose being to describe in detail their thoughts about and experiences with anabolic steroids. The four accounts show that information levels, attitudes and settings play an important role in steroid use. They also show how these people have different aims in using steroids, and how their aims develop and change as they gain experience or deal with significant life events. The chapter serves a dual purpose. Firstly, it illustrates the huge variety and the many shades of gray in the thoughts and experiences of anabolic steroid users. Secondly, it provides a basic framework for generally describing the different approaches to steroid use, which is the purpose of Chapter 7.
