Estimating the Risk of Irreversible Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction Due to Serotonergic Antidepressants

    April 2023 in “ Annals of General Psychiatry ”
    Joseph Ben-Sheetrit, Yehonathan Hermon, Shlomo Birkenfeld, Yehiel Gutman, Antonei B. Csòka, Paz Toren
    Studysummary This study found that males treated with serotonergic antidepressants had an increased risk of erectile dysfunction, with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.2, and the risk for post-SSRI sexual dysfunction was 0.46%, emphasizing the importance of informed consent due to these potential irreversible side effects. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    This study conducted a 19-year retrospective cohort analysis with 12,302 males to assess the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) and post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) associated with serotonergic antidepressants (SAs). The results indicated that SAs significantly increase the risk of ED, with a crude odds ratio of 3.6 and an adjusted odds ratio of 3.2. The risk of PSSD was found to be 0.46%, with a prevalence of 4.3 per 100,000. These findings highlight a small but significant risk of irreversible ED linked to SAs, emphasizing the importance of informed consent and consideration of alternative treatments in managing patients' sexual health.
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