Investigation of Sexual Dysfunction Linked to Finasteride Use: A Pharmacovigilance Analysis
August 2021
in “
The Journal of Urology
”
TLDR Finasteride use is strongly linked to sexual dysfunction, especially in young men treating hair loss.
The study investigated the association between finasteride use and sexual dysfunction using VigiBase, the WHO's global database. It identified 7700 reports of sexual dysfunction in finasteride users, with a significant disproportionality signal (ROR 50.30, 95% CI 49.03-51.60). Sensitivity analyses showed larger signals in patients under 45 (ROR 65.73, 95% CI 61.83-69.88) and those using finasteride for alopecia (ROR 33.62, 95% CI 25.22-44.82) compared to older patients and those with BPH. The study concluded that while confounding factors like indication and stimulated reporting might influence the results, they do not fully explain the strong association observed, particularly in young alopecia patients.
