Pharmacovigilance Analysis of Reports of Sexual Dysfunction Associated with Finasteride Use: Implications for the Post-Finasteride Syndrome

This study analyzed 7,700 reports of sexual dysfunction associated with finasteride, a drug used for androgenetic alopecia and benign prostatic hyperplasia, using the WHO's VigiBase. The findings revealed a significant disproportionality signal for sexual dysfunction, particularly in patients under 45 and those using finasteride for alopecia, with a reporting odds ratio (ROR) of 64.9 for alopecia patients. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the significance of these signals, suggesting that while some reports may be influenced by indication and reporting biases, these factors alone do not fully explain the observed effects in younger alopecia patients.