36 citations,
June 2014 in “PLOS ONE” Finasteride, a hair loss drug, may cause long-term sexual side effects due to changes in hormone receptor levels.
5 citations,
July 2022 in “Orphanet journal of rare diseases” RSPO1 mutations in certain patients lead to skin cells that don't develop properly and are more likely to become invasive, increasing the risk of skin cancer.
581 citations,
October 1998 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride safely and effectively treats male pattern hair loss, but may cause reversible sexual issues and harm male fetuses.
235 citations,
October 2004 in “The Journal of urology/The journal of urology” Drugs that block DHT production can effectively treat enlarged prostate and improve urinary issues with some sexual side effects.
223 citations,
March 2011 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Some patients taking finasteride or dutasteride may have ongoing sexual problems and depression even after stopping the medication.
93 citations,
January 1996 in “Clinical Pharmacokinectics” Finasteride helps regrow hair and shrink prostate by reducing DHT, with some sexual side effects.
66 citations,
April 2014 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” Finasteride and dutasteride effectively treat hair loss, but may cause side effects like sexual dysfunction and depression.
61 citations,
February 2015 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.
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,
November 2014 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Dutasteride helps hair growth in those unresponsive to finasteride, but may cause more sexual dysfunction.
35 citations,
October 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,
May 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,
September 2012 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride significantly improves hair growth but may cause sexual side effects.
33 citations,
March 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.
17 citations,
January 2013 in “Our Dermatology Online” Dutasteride mesotherapy helps treat male hair loss but may harm sperm and sexual function.
13 citations,
March 2019 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,
September 2018 in “Current Sexual Health Reports” Finasteride can cause lasting sexual dysfunction, depression, and other side effects, needing more research for treatment.
8 citations,
December 2016 in “Revista Medica De Chile” Finasteride can cause sexual dysfunction, sperm changes, and affect bone density and metabolism.
8 citations,
February 2009 in “Current Women's Health Reviews” Testosterone treatment can improve sexual function and bone density in women but may have adverse effects and requires more research on safety and guidelines.
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,
October 2020 in “Skin appendage disorders” Oral dutasteride works better for hair loss, but has more sexual side effects; intralesional dutasteride is a possible alternative.