Key points
- A Queensland drug testing study has found only one in 10 samples of illegal steroids match what their labels claim them to be.
- Research project ROIDCheck analysed 212 image and performance enhancing drug (IPED) samples in a year-long project.
- Next steps are to expand the project nationally, and to include checks of other illicit performance-enhancing drugs and injectable peptides.
Almost 90 per cent of illegal steroids contain unexpected, incorrect or dangerous substances, a Queensland drug testing study has found.
ROIDCheck - a project led by University of Queensland researchers - tested the purity of image and performance enhancing drug (IPED) samples but found only one in 10 matched what was claimed on their labels.
Dr Timothy Piatkowski of UQ's Centre for Health Services Research said the ROIDCheck study chemically analysed 212 samples of illegal steroids submitted by 50 participants in a year-long study.
"Our program has exposed dangerous quality control issues in Australia's unregulated drug market," Dr Piatkowski said.
"We also found 15.2 per cent of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) samples were mislabelled - either having unexpected, missing or no active substance.
"Our study even found samples containing trenbolone enanthate, a livestock steroid not approved for use in Australia and extremely toxic to humans."
IPEDs are a variety group of substances used to alter physical appearance, strength or improve sporting performance beyond natural limits.
The substances are illegal to use in Australia without a medical prescription and are approved only for specific health conditions - not performance or image enhancement.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids such as testosterone and trenbolone are the most widely used to increase muscle mass, strength, and endurance.
Dr Piaktkowski, the lead researcher of ROIDCheck, said the rise of unregulated drug markets in Australia and internationally has made it easy for people to access IPEDs online without medical oversight.
"Some of these substances put IPED consumers at risk of a range of unintended harms with use leading to a range of cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine, neurological, psychiatric, and liver diseases and disorders,'' he said.
"Our findings flag limited consumer knowledge, even in individuals that have actively engaged in drug checking services.
"ROIDCheck provides health advice led by lived experienced and has been designed with clinicians and researchers to provide education on safer use, and programs to assist in ceasing use when ready.
"This is a critical tool in supporting harm reduction in our communities, and we would like the program to be used for public health surveillance and policy development.''
In September 2025, the Queensland Government passed laws banning drug checking.
Following this change, Dr Piatkowski said ROIDCheck was able to continue to provide group-level data, but not individual results to consumers.
Dr Piatkowski said next steps were to expand ROIDCheck nationally and to include checks of other illicit performance-enhancing drugs as well as injectable peptides.
Injectable peptides are a growing market in Australia, with people using the proteins for a range of purposes to slow ageing, recovery from injury and for tanning.
"We're exploring ways to set up collection points at places such as gyms, strength or bodybuilding events to improve reach for underserved populations," Dr Piatkowski said.
The report is published here .
Collaboration and acknowledgements
The research was carried out in collaboration with The Loop Australia, Queensland Injectors Health Network and Queensland Injectors Voice for Advocacy and Action.
Chemical analysis of the program was conducted at the Griffith Analytical Facility at Griffith University's School of Environment and Science.
The project is supported through funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.
