Hair-loss drug linked to persistent sexual side effects in case report

A medical case report detailed a 26-year-old man who developed genital numbness and reduced ejaculatory function while taking finasteride, a medication commonly prescribed for male-pattern hair loss.

The patient stopped taking 1 mg of finasteride after six months, but the symptoms reportedly persisted 19 months after discontinuation, even after other physical, psychological and relationship-related causes were excluded.

The report adds to ongoing research into persistent sexual symptoms reported by some patients after stopping finasteride. However, a single case report does not establish how common the condition is or prove that everyone taking the drug faces the same risk.