66 citations,
June 2013 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” Finasteride and dutasteride effectively treat hair loss, but may cause side effects like sexual dysfunction and depression.
62 citations,
June 2015 in “Sexually Transmitted Infections” Sexual activity can spread T. interdigitale, needing quick antifungal treatment to avoid permanent scarring.
61 citations,
April 2014 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Finasteride affects brain and blood steroids, causing lasting sexual and emotional side effects.
56 citations,
April 1998 in “Steroids” Finasteride reduces hair loss and treats BPH without major hormone changes, but may cause sexual dysfunction.
51 citations,
April 1999 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Testosterone replacement may improve sexual desire and bone health in women with low androgen levels, but more research is needed on its long-term safety.
45 citations,
March 2015 in “Clinical Endocrinology” Testosterone therapy is generally safe for transmen, improves sexual function, and has manageable health risks with proper monitoring.
44 citations,
October 2010 in “BJUI” 5-α-reductase inhibitors reduce prostate cancer risk but may cause sexual dysfunction and don't affect high-grade tumor or death rates.
36 citations,
June 2014 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Dutasteride helps hair growth in those unresponsive to finasteride, but may cause more sexual dysfunction.
35 citations,
June 2018 in “Urology” The review suggests younger men taking 1 mg finasteride report more side effects, including sexual, skin, metabolic, and psychological issues.
35 citations,
April 2013 in “Sexual medicine reviews” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors slightly increase the risk of sexual and mood side effects, and breast growth in men.
35 citations,
February 2012 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride significantly improves hair growth but may cause sexual side effects.
33 citations,
January 2016 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology” Taking 1 mg of finasteride daily can increase hair count and improve hair appearance, but it may have side effects on sexual function and a potential risk of prostate cancer. It may not be effective for postmenopausal women unless taken in higher doses.
33 citations,
January 2016 in “Skin appendage disorders” The document concludes that sexual and psychiatric side effects from 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are reported, but more high-quality research is needed to understand how often they occur.
32 citations,
March 2019 in “Climacteric” Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) can harm women's sexual health, and they may benefit from hormone therapy and counseling.
26 citations,
November 1993 in “Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry” Treatment during development affects hormone balance and sexual behavior in male rats.
21 citations,
April 2016 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” Finasteride may cause mental and sexual side effects, with hand preference and sexual orientation possibly affecting severity.
20 citations,
January 2008 in “Reproductive Biomedicine Online” Sexual orientation does not affect the prevalence of PCOS or fertility rates in women undergoing artificial donor insemination.
13 citations,
September 2018 in “Dermatologic Therapy” Finasteride effectively stops hair loss in most patients, but concerns about rare sexual side effects exist.
13 citations,
June 2018 in “Current Urology Reports” Hair loss drugs may cause sexual issues and infertility in men.
12 citations,
March 2017 in “Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada” Testosterone therapy can modestly improve sexual function in menopausal women but should be used cautiously and is not recommended for routine measurement in sexual dysfunction or hirsutism.
8 citations,
July 2018 in “Current Sexual Health Reports” Finasteride can cause lasting sexual dysfunction, depression, and other side effects, needing more research for treatment.
8 citations,
February 2017 in “Clinical Drug Investigation” Finasteride can cause sexual dysfunction and depression, which may persist and require hormonal treatment.
8 citations,
December 2016 in “Revista Medica De Chile” Finasteride can cause sexual dysfunction, sperm changes, and affect bone density and metabolism.
7 citations,
June 2020 in “Translational Andrology and Urology” Finasteride for hair loss may cause lasting sexual, genitourinary, mental, and anti-androgenic side effects in young men.
6 citations,
December 2013 in “Medical Journal of Australia” Bald men are not more virile and may have fewer sexual partners.
6 citations,
September 1998 in “The Journal of The British Menopause Society” Testosterone replacement may help postmenopausal women with sexual function and bone density, but suitable treatments are limited.
5 citations,
January 2020 in “Skin appendage disorders” Oral dutasteride works better for hair loss, but has more sexual side effects; intralesional dutasteride is a possible alternative.
3 citations,
September 2014 in “Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada” Menopause often leads to lower sexual desire and discomfort during sex, but treatment should be personalized and only if it bothers the woman.
2 citations,
April 2019 in “Journal of Internal Medicine” Men using steroids or finasteride to look more attractive may harm their fertility and sexual function, creating a paradox where they seem fit but may be less able to reproduce.
2 citations,
March 2018 in “Current Opinion in Urology” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors can cause sexual, neurologic, endocrine, and cardiovascular side effects, but these are rare and usually stop after ending treatment.