‘The general concept is a safer use approach’: how image and performance enhancing drug coaches negotiate safety through community care

Background Drug coaches are a novel extension of traditional personal trainers who play a significant role providing support and shaping drug-related behaviours for people who use image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs). They constitute a critical domain for everyday risk management, where substance use, and its associated harms are influenced by social exchange. This study investigated how IPED coaches negotiate safety within the community through the provision of their services and the partnerships they form with clients.