More Young Americans Turn to Synthetic Growth Hormone, Illicitly Used to Improve Athletic Performance

A new survey commissioned by the non-profit Partnership for Drug-Free Kids examines how future teen athletes are taking on bad decisions. 

According to the results, more and more young people are using synthetic growth hormone to enhance overall growth and performance in sports-related activities. However, unnecessary use of human growth hormone (HGH) can pose serious health risks to users. 

The survey interviewed 3,706 high school students and found that around 11 percent of them reported using HGH at least once without a written prescription from a doctor; these rates have increased by five percent since previous calculations seen in 2012. Furthermore, researchers noted that teen use of steroids increased from 5 percent to 7 percent over the same period.

"It's what you get when you combine aggressive promotion from for-profit companies with a vulnerable target-kids who want a quick fix and don't care about health risk," said Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, via Fox News. Tygart added that there is still relatively little drug testing for high school athletes. "It's a very easy sell, unfortunately."

Survey findings revealed that close to nine percent of teen girls have reported trying synthetic HGH while around 12 percent of boys had, as well. African American (15 percent) and Hispanic (13 percent) teens were also more likely to use synthetic HGH compared with 9 percent of Caucasian teens.  

"These new data point to a troubling development among today's teens," added Steve Pasierb, president of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, via the Washington Post. "Young people are seeking out and using performance-enhancing substances like synthetic HGH - and supplements purporting to contain HGH - hoping to improve athletic performance or body appearance without really knowing what substances they are putting into their bodies,"

Pasierb added that while prescription and over-the-counter medications must be tested, supplements described from the survey had not typically been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)--posing more of a danger to consumers for serious health risks. 

"That creates a false perception of safety driving impressionable teens to risk their health with potentially dangerous products that are untested."