Professor Channa Jayasena of Imperial College London, a consultant in reproductive endocrinology and andrology, has warned that the UK has become a 'wild west' for experimental peptides, steroids, and other substances. He stated that he now encounters patients 'day in, day out' who are taking these experimental peptides, which are often sold online as part of a 'wellness' regime or for image and performance enhancement.
Risks and Regulatory Gaps
Jayasena highlighted serious risks, noting that steroids increase the risk of death threefold. Peptides, many manufactured in China, lack standard quality controls and risk contamination. 'It feels that we're in the wild west and it feels like we've rapidly arrived in a situation of lawlessness when it comes to people normalising the administration of potentially very powerful and sometimes untested peptides and products that could have devastating consequences for their health,' he said. He added that the issue is 'falling between the stools' of regulatory bodies, with the MHRA focusing on regulation and the Advertising Standards Agency having a narrow scope.
Social Media and Normalisation
An investigation by The Guardian revealed fitness influencers using Telegram to sell anabolic steroids, prescription-only medicines, and unregulated peptides. Susan Backhouse, professor of sport psychology at Leeds Beckett University, noted that steroid use has moved beyond gym culture, with broader normalisation across demographics. 'Both men and women are showing increasing dissatisfaction with how their bodies look and feel, contributing to the normalisation of enhancement practices,' she said. 'Access has become incredibly easy. Someone can see an influencer promoting a product, click a link, and have that product delivered directly to their door within days.'
Calls for Action
Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat chair of the health select committee, expressed concern that tech firms are not protecting users and that agencies lack resources. Conservative MP Luke Evans, a former GP, said he has repeatedly raised the issue in parliament. 'We're letting people put this stuff into their body, which we have no idea what it does or how it works, and that's a really scary place,' he said. He called for awareness, data collection, and accountability. A government spokesperson stated that the UK takes the illegal sale of medicines seriously, with the MHRA investigating and disrupting supply chains, and the Online Safety Act treating illegal drug sales as a priority.
