Study summary · research use only
A glimpse into the underground market of melanotan
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This study describes an observational, voluntary, anonymous online survey of human participants on an internet forum who reported using melanotan-I or melanotan-II, described as alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (a-MSH) analogues obtained online and injected subcutaneously to stimulate a tan. The survey asked participants about their motivation and hesitation for and against using melanotan, the difficulty of acquiring it, and their plans for continuing use in the future.
Abstract
Melanotan-I and melanotan-II are alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (a-MSH) analogues that can be purchased illicitly online with relative ease and are injected subcutaneously to stimulate a tan. Little is known about the use of these unregulated substances. An observational survey was posted to an online forum in which participants share their experiences using melanotan-I or melanotan-II. Users were asked to complete this voluntary, anonymous survey, which had questions focusing on motivation and hesitation for and against using melanotan, difficulty in acquiring it, and plans for continuing to use melanotan in the future.
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