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Propecia medication causes a permanent decrease in libido
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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An American has found that a hair loss drug causes a persistent decrease in libido regardless of the duration of use. The results of the study, conducted by Michael S. Irwig from George Washington University, were published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Irwig recruited 54 volunteers who were taking finasteride (Propecia) for hair loss to participate in the study. All participants had sexual desire disorders caused by taking the drug. The scientist compared the health of the men at the beginning of the study and after 9-16 months. On average, the interval between examinations was 14 months.
According to the results of the study, during the follow-up examination, negative side effects of finasteride related to sex were recorded in 96 percent of the participants. At the same time, the disorders detected in 89 percent of the men met the criteria for sexual dysfunction according to the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale.
In addition, a man's scores on the scale were not affected by the length of time he had been taking finasteride. Irwig noted that most of the study participants developed persistent sexual dysfunction despite stopping hair loss treatment.
In previous studies, scientists from Argentina found that every 80th man taking finasteride for baldness suffers from impotence. At the same time, for most patients, erectile dysfunction does not cause a desire to interrupt the course of treatment.