Nice Hair or Orgasm? With Propecia, Some Women Have to Choose…

Washington, DCWould you rather have a husband with hair or an orgasm? That appears to be the issue for a number of women and their husbands with regard to Propecia finasteride. The lead plaintiff, together with more than 50 other litigants have seen their Propecia lawsuit consolidated in St. Louis Circuit Court alleging the medication indicated for treating male pattern baldness, also led to sexual dysfunction.

According to the Madison County Record (2/10/12), the plaintiffs allege Propecia side effects that revealed between the sheets were more than they bargained for, let alone expected. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has since mandated label changes for Propecia warning of Propecia impotence—although that warning has come too late for many.

Medical News Today released the FDA statement on April 13: "Despite the fact that clear causal links between finasteride (Propecia and Proscar) and sexual adverse events have not been established, the cases suggest a broader range of adverse effects than previously reported in patients taking these drugs."

The FDA statement referenced 421 reports of sexual dysfunction related to Propecia over a 13-year period from 1998 to 2011 that were reviewed by the FDA. In 59 of these cases, problems with Propecia sexual dysfunction continued longer than three months following an end to the medication.

For the litigants in the Propecia lawsuit, complaints range from erectile dysfunction and various other Propecia side effects, to cognitive impairment, infertility and depression.

An individual's sexual function often plays a large role in an individual's self-esteem, and their relationship with a partner. The resulting Propecia long-term side effects can leave a huge void in a relationship from which some couples never recover.

The FDA reiterated that "only a small percentage of men using these drugs have experienced a sexual adverse event."

Unrelated to sexual dysfunction but still with men's health, we are reminded that the Canadian Press (CP) reported in March about an even darker side of Propecia finasteride—the potential for high-grade prostate cancer, according to a release from Health Canada, the Canadian equivalent to the FDA.

What's particularly galling is that Propecia finasteride, while indicated to treat male pattern baldness, is also indicated for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, or enlarged prostate. While the risk is small, Health Canada nonetheless concurred with two international studies that suggested a small increased risk of high grade prostrate cancer associated with long-term, daily use of finasteride in men 50 years of age and older.

For some men, the Propecia help they seek for relief from male pattern baldness or an enlarged prostate, leaves them with more than they bargained for…