In 2017 SSAC began work on a research project exploring the health information needs of men who inject performance and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs). Based on an Australian Research Council grant, the project aims to better understand who takes them, when, why and how, and to support effective, non-stigmatising resources for men who inject PIEDs. As part of the project, the team has produced a web portal.

The PIEDs portal aims to offer a dedicated publicly accessible research resource presenting key materials for interested researchers, health practitioners, policymakers and consumers. It also aims to support and allow people who use PIEDs to anonymously access information.

By browsing the list of topics on the menu, you will find comprehensively collected relevant research, media reports, health education resources, popular culture representations and consumer perspectives on PIEDs use. These lists were carefully gathered in June and July of 2018.

Why this PIEDs portal now? The media has long been filled with stories of steroid use and doping but these stories often rely on stereotypes and offer few clues about the range of people using PIEDs, the variety of experiences people have and the many ways they understand their consumption practices and identities.

The PIEDs portal aims to inform public discussions of performance and image-enhancing drug use, to support researchers interested in engaging with public health and cultural representations of PIED use, to counter stigmatising misconceptions through careful analysis and discussion.

We hope you find the PIEDs portal helpful and informative.

NOTE: If you use the portal to inform your research please acknowledge it in abstracts, publications, grant proposals, and/or presentations.

For further information about the portal or the project to which it’s linked, please contact project research coordinator Dr Renae Fomiatti: renae.fomiatti@curtin.edu.au