The desired body image and steroid use: intersectionality and risk-taking among Malay men in a Malaysian public gym

This qualitative study investigates steroid use among Malay men in Malaysia, focusing on their motivations, perceptions of risk, and the negotiation of masculinity within fitness and social media cultures. The widespread promotion of hyper-muscular male bodies on platforms like Facebook and Instagram has intensified pressure to conform to idealised masculine physiques. In response, many men turn to anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) – despite their regulation under Malaysia's Poisons Act 1952—as a quick means to enhance appearance and performance. Drawing on Zinn's theory of risk-taking and Giritli Nygren and Olofsson's concept of Doing Risk, the analysis focuses upon how users rationalise steroid use within local cultural and social contexts. Based on in-depth interviews with Malay AAS users in Klang Valley public gyms, the findings reveal a tension between physical ideals and health awareness. Participants actively manage risks through peer knowledge, alternative remedies, and selective engagement with medical advice. Steroid use emerges not simply as a deviant act, but as a socially embedded strategy for constructing masculine identity and achieving bodily ideals. This study highlights how risk, health, and masculinity intersect in the everyday lives of Malay men navigating modern gym and media cultures in Malaysia.