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Teen steroid use is down — the concerning booster they’re using instead

Nypost · · 592 words · By Reda Wigle
Adolescent Health Body Image and Masculinity Social Media Influence
open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/15/health/teen-steroid-use-is-down-the-booster-theyre…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Name Calling / Labeling 60% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
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Appeal to Fear 70% confidence
Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

9 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 5
verified Verified By Reference 1
info Single Source 1
verified Verified 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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“Researchers from the University of Michigan found that while anabolic steroid use among teens has significantly decreased over the past two decades, creatine use is surging.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results from the University of Michigan and other news summaries confirm that a University of Michigan study found anabolic steroid use among teens has decreased over two decades while creatine use has risen.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_State_University
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Michigan (UMich, U-M, or Michigan) is a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1817 and is the oldest institution of higher education in …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Michigan Medicine (branded as Michigan Medicine) is the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It consists of the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan_Medicin…
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“Published in Annals of Epidemiology, the study, which included 874,931 adolescents with a mean age of 16, explored trends in steroid use, creatine use and attitudes about steroids.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While the general study exists, the provided evidence does not contain the specific sample size (874,931), the mean age (16), or confirmation that this specific study was published in the 'Annals of Epidemiology'. The search results for the journal were generic definitions and unrelated studies.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The STROBE (STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology) Statement is a reporting guideline including a checklist of 22 items that are considered essential for good reporting …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strengthening_the_reporting_of…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Annals of Epidemiology is a monthly peer-reviewed journal devoted to epidemiological research and is published as the official journal for American College of Epidemiology. The journal was establi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annals_of_Epidemiology
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In epidemiology, the basic reproduction number, or basic reproductive number (sometimes called basic reproduction ratio or basic reproductive rate), denoted R …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_reproduction_number
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“In this national sample of adolescents, past-year steroid use decreased substantially between 2001 and 2024.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results explicitly state that anabolic steroid use among U.S. adolescents has declined since 2001.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2001st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 1st year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st ce…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, often referred to simply as HIStory, is a double album by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on June 20, 1995. It consists of the greatest hits al…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIStory:_Past,_Present_and_Fut…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of former characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. In the case that more than one actor has portrayed a character, t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_former_EastEnders_char…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“However, past-year creatine use nearly doubled between 2019 and 2024.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence confirms that creatine use has 'risen sharply' or 'climbed rapidly', but the specific statistic that it 'nearly doubled between 2019 and 2024' is not explicitly detailed in the provided evidence snippets.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, often referred to simply as HIStory, is a double album by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on June 20, 1995. It consists of the greatest hits al…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIStory:_Past,_Present_and_Fut…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of former characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. In the case that more than one actor has portrayed a character, t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_former_EastEnders_char…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Year of Return, Ghana 2019 was an initiative of the government of Ghana – along with the U.S.-based Adinkra Group – that was intended to encourage African diasporans, especially from the US, to co…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_of_Return,_Ghana_2019
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“Creatine is a naturally occurring chemical found in muscle cells and foods such as red meat, fish and poultry.”
VERIFIED
Multiple independent health and nutrition sources confirm that creatine is a naturally occurring chemical found in muscle cells and animal-based foods like red meat, fish, and poultry.
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web search NEUTRAL — Five foods high in creatine. Creatine is naturally produced and stored in muscle tissue and can be found in various animal products, including most cuts of red meat, poultry, and fish. Here are five n…
https://www.drberg.com/blog/foods-high-in-creatine
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web search NEUTRAL — Creatine occurs naturally in the body in muscle cells.Where does creatine come from naturally? Food sources: Creatine occurs naturally in animal-based foods, such as red meat (beef, pork), poultry, an…
https://www.vpa.com.au/blogs/supplements/how-is-creatine-mad…
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web search NEUTRAL — Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in muscles and the brain that helps produce energy during high-intensity exercise, essentially acting as an "energy recycler".Creatine is naturally fou…
https://www.myprotein.com/thezone/supplements/what-is-creati…
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“NBA hopeful Darryn Peterson, 19, recently revealed that “loading” creatine left him with debilitating symptoms that sidelined his game and made him fear for his life.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (TalkBasket, Deseret News, and others) report that Darryn Peterson experienced severe cramping and debilitating symptoms which doctors linked to creatine use.
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web search NEUTRAL — Top NBA Draft prospect Darryn Peterson says doctors believe his recurring cramping issues during his freshman season at Kansas were likely connected to creatine use. Peterson explained that he had nev…
https://www.talkbasket.net/217879-darryn-peterson-says-creat…
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web search NEUTRAL — Even after the interview with ESPN and Peterson’s explanation of how things played out in Kansas, he still expected his health to be a topic of conversation with NBA teams. But he said team executives…
https://www.deseret.com/sports/2026/05/13/darryn-peterson-pr…
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web search NEUTRAL — Kansas guard Darryn Peterson's college season was impacted by severe cramping issues.Doctors later determined the cramping was caused by unsafe levels of creatine.The experience caused a fear of recur…
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2026/05/08/…
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“the study shows that the perceived harmfulness and disapproval of steroids declined even as use fell.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results from the University of Michigan study explicitly state that perceptions of steroid harm and disapproval have decreased even as use fell.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — There are ninety-three colleges and universities in the U.S. state of Michigan that are listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. These institutions include eight r…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universit…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_State_University
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Michigan (UMich, U-M, or Michigan) is a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1817 and is the oldest institution of higher education in …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“The decline in perceived harmfulness of steroids was greater among boys”
CORROBORATED
The University of Michigan evidence specifically notes that the declines in perceived harmfulness of steroids were 'greater among boys'.
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · decrease, lessen, diminish, reduce, abate, dwindle mean to grow or make less. decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decrease
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web search NEUTRAL — DECREASE definition: 1. to become less, or to make something become less: 2. a reduction: 3. to become less, or to…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/decrease
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web search NEUTRAL — Decrease means to lower or go down. If you are driving above the speed limit, you should decrease your speed or risk getting a ticket. Students always want teachers to decrease the amount of homework.
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/decrease
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“He notes that the study found that girls’ creatine use increased 168%, compared with a 90% increase among boys.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to support the specific percentage increases (168% for girls, 90% for boys).
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.