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My partner has PFS: is it me, and what helps?

Post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) can take away desire and flatten mood long after the last tablet. It isn't a verdict on you. What partners can do.

SIDEfxHUB is a patient charity. We are not health professionals, and this does not replace medical advice. Don't start, stop or change any medicine because of what you read here. Talk to your doctor first.

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By Morten SkovPublished
Poster: My partner has PFS: is it me? Below: Low sex drive is a PFS symptom, not proof he's stopped caring. Source: UK Propecia (finasteride) leaflet, May 2026.

When the side effects of finasteride, a hair-loss medicine, carry on after the last tablet, patients call it post-finasteride syndrome (PFS). If your partner has gone off sex or seems flat since taking it, that can be a symptom, and it isn’t proof he’s stopped caring about you.

PFS is more than a sex problem. In 2022, doctors and researchers proposed a checklist to recognise it: a lasting drop in sex drive, erection problems and less feeling in the genitals. Depression, suicidal thoughts or problems with concentration and memory can be part of it too, with or without the sexual symptoms. If either of you is struggling, Samaritans are free on 116 123, day or night.

The UK medicines regulator asks men on finasteride to tell friends and family they’re taking it, because they “may not notice some changes” in their own mood. As a partner, you may be the one who notices.

The story in 3 lines

  1. The UK Propecia leaflet lists a “persistent decrease in sex drive after discontinuation of treatment”.
  2. The UK regulator asks men on finasteride to tell friends and family, because they may not notice some mood changes themselves.
  3. We found no study of partners of men with PFS. Thammika is one partner who has spoken about it.

Press: contact@sidefxhub.com

Thammika met her future husband after he had already stopped finasteride. When they started dating, she noticed they weren’t having sex, and he told her it was a side effect. She thought it would pass. This two-minute clip is the partner’s side: why she doesn’t blame him, and why she still left the marriage.

An extract (1:53 to 3:59) from Thammika's interview with Moral Medicine, April 2025, in English. The views are her own. The video's title is the channel's, not our claim.

They’re no longer together. “This is definitely not this man’s fault,” she says, and the two of them are still “very good friends”.

Is it my fault he’s gone off sex?

If it started with finasteride, no. The UK leaflet in the pack lists it as a side effect: a drop in sex drive that carries on after stopping. It’s also on the 2022 checklist for PFS.

PFS can change feelings too. Matt took finasteride for three years before his symptoms began. A few weeks after he stopped, his emotions went flat. Watch this clip if your partner seems far away and you can’t work out why.

An extract (5:37 to 6:46) from Matt's film for Moral Medicine, April 2026, in English. The views are his own.

He says he could no longer feel happiness, sadness “or even love”. You could ask your partner whether it feels like that for him. Our article on what PFS feels like has more in patients’ own words.

Will my partner’s PFS get better?

There’s no clear answer yet. The NHS says finasteride’s sexual side effects “can sometimes carry on even after you stop taking finasteride”.

For some people it has lasted years after stopping. Nobody knows yet who will be affected, or whether it will ease. Our article on recovery from PFS goes through what is known.

It’s hard to plan a life around a question with no answer. What you can change is how alone he is with it, and how alone you are.

A Propecia 1 mg finasteride carton with a foil blister strip marked with days of the week and one small tablet in front
Finasteride 1 mg, the hair-loss tablet, sold as Propecia (a Canadian pack). In the UK, the leaflet in the pack lists sexual problems that carried on after stopping. Photo: Kristoferb, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

How can I support someone with PFS?

Believe him. And keep an eye on his mood: that’s the reason the regulator asks men on finasteride to tell their families, and the NHS says the same. It still matters after he stops, because depression can be part of PFS.

Let him decide how much he shares, and when. You can still help without making him talk about sex.

Three ways to help

  1. Help him write down when it all happened: “Finasteride 1 mg from March 2022, last tablet June 2024. Low sex drive since May 2024.”
  2. Offer to come to the GP with him, if he wants you there. Our guide to talking to a doctor about PFS helps you both prepare.
  3. Offer to report it with him. The UK regulator says you can report for someone else, with their permission.

You could start with: “I've read that this can last after finasteride. I'd like to understand what it's like for you.”

If he wants to explain it to the rest of the family, our guide to talking to family and friends about PFS is written for him.

These medicines help many people. If he’s still taking finasteride and wondering whether to carry on, that’s a decision for him and his prescriber. The UK leaflet says that if he becomes low or depressed while taking it, he should stop and contact his doctor as soon as possible.

Report it: it helps everyone

A doctor’s note helps you. A report to the medicines regulator helps everyone else: it is how patterns get noticed.

  • No proof needed. A suspicion is enough, even years after stopping.
  • Where: the Yellow Card scheme in the UK, MedWatch in the US. Our Yellow Card guide for finasteride shows each step.
  • Use the right words. If symptoms continued after stopping, write Post 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor syndrome (MedDRA 10082430).

Our reporting guide walks you through it

How do I cope as his partner?

Your own needs count too. Thammika says she “couldn’t live in a sexless marriage”, so she ended it and kept the friendship. Her story page describes what it did to her: a long stretch of isolation.

It can help to talk it through with someone outside the relationship. In England, you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies for low mood or worry, without seeing a GP first. The NHS also lists couples therapy, where you both talk to a therapist.

You can also talk to people in the same position. Our guide to PFS peer support includes a US charity that started a support scheme in 2016 for patients and their families.

What else do partners ask?

Can we still have children? Ask a GP, because it depends on more than PFS. The UK leaflet says infertility has been reported in men who took finasteride for a long time and had other things affecting their fertility. It adds that semen quality has been reported to improve after stopping.

Can a relationship survive PFS? We searched the medical research in October 2026 and found no study of how couples cope with it. Thammika’s is one couple’s story, and yours may go differently. Our article on relationships after a PFS crash has ideas for staying close when sex is hard.

Is PFS real? The UK leaflet lists sexual problems that carried on after stopping, and in 2024 the regulator reminded doctors to watch for them. Nobody has measured how often it happens. Not every study finds a link. One that followed older men from a US prostate cancer trial found no clear difference between men on finasteride and men on a dummy pill. Our article Is PFS real? goes through the evidence.

Through all of it, Thammika kept seeing the “amazing human” behind the symptoms. Our PFS page explains what he’s living with, and you can report it together if he agrees.

Sources

  1. Organon Pharma (UK) Limited. Propecia 1 mg film-coated tablets, patient information leaflet, electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC 2194), last revised May 2026. Section 2, mood: “depressed mood, depression and, less frequently, suicidal thoughts have been reported … stop taking Propecia and contact your doctor for further medical advice as soon as possible”; a patient card is provided with the pack. Section 2 also covers fertility. “Infertility has been reported in men who took finasteride for a long time and had other risk factors that may affect fertility”. It adds: “Normalisation or improvement of seminal quality has been reported after discontinuation of finasteride”. Section 4, frequency unknown: “persistent decrease in sex drive after discontinuation of treatment”. The same list has lasting erection and ejaculation problems after stopping.
  2. Healy D, Bahrick A, Bak M and colleagues. Diagnostic criteria for enduring sexual dysfunction after treatment with antidepressants, finasteride and isotretinoin. Int J Risk Saf Med 2022;33(1):65-76. Proposed criteria from an expert group, not an official diagnosis. Section 5 (PFS): enduring loss of sexual desire, erectile dysfunction and “reduction in genital and orgasmic sensation”, present for three months or more after stopping. Cognitive impairment, depression and suicidality “can occur independently of any sexual difficulties but may also accompany sexual problems”. “The incidence of these conditions is unknown.”
  3. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Finasteride: reminder of the risk psychiatric side effects and of sexual side effects (which may persist after discontinuation of treatment), Drug Safety Update, 29 April 2024. Advice to give patients and caregivers: “you may not notice some changes in your mood and behaviour so it is very important to tell your friends and family that you are taking this medicine”. It adds: “Others may notice changes and help you quickly identify any symptoms.” Healthcare professionals “are reminded to monitor patients for both psychiatric and sexual side effects”. MHRA press release, same day: Men on finasteride asked to stay vigilant. Patients “are encouraged to show this card, and the patient leaflet, to friends and family”.
  4. NHS, Side effects of finasteride, page last reviewed 2 August 2023: the common side effects, including “less interest in having sex”, “can sometimes carry on even after you stop taking finasteride”; and “tell your family or friends that you’re taking finasteride … so that they can help you notice any changes.” See also Fertility and pregnancy while taking finasteride, same date.
  5. NHS, Talking therapies, page last reviewed 5 November 2025. Self-referral to NHS talking therapies in England without a GP, for people registered with a GP and aged 18 or over (16 in some areas); couples therapy is listed among the types of therapy.
  6. Moral Medicine, Post-Finasteride Syndrome Ended My Marriage, interview with Thammika, 30 April 2025 (32 minutes), embedded here as an extract from 1:53 to 3:59. Everything we say of her comes from this extract (YouTube auto-captions) or her story page. They started dating, she noticed they were not having sex, and he told her it was a side effect of Propecia (2:01 to 2:26), taken before they met (2:50 to 3:01). She thought it was temporary (2:30). No longer together, “very good friends” (3:10 to 3:13). “This is definitely not this man’s fault” (3:32). “I couldn’t live in a sexless marriage for myself” (3:41 to 3:47). “Such an amazing human for whom bad things happened” (3:49 to 3:55). “It was just the marriage that I had to walk away from” (3:56). Her story on our site, Thammika’s story: “their love for each other stayed, but the marriage ended”; what it did to her, “a long stretch of isolation”.
  7. Moral Medicine, This Year I’m turning 30 years old, and I haven’t felt an orgasm since I was 24, Matt’s film, 6 April 2026 (17 minutes), embedded here as an extract from 5:37 to 6:46. From the YouTube auto-captions. Three years on finasteride “without any issues” (4:27), then his genital symptoms began while he was still taking it (4:29 to 4:40). “I began to feel very emotionally numb” (5:37). “I can no longer feel any kind of happiness, sadness, depression, anxiety, excitement, or even love” (6:08 to 6:11).
  8. Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation, Support Program Connects PFS Patients Worldwide, 21 September 2016: “Any PFS patient or family member of a PFS patient who would like to participate” can apply.
  9. GOV.UK, Report a problem with a medicine or medical device: “Anyone can report a problem.” MHRA, How to report to the Yellow Card scheme: “You can report for yourself or for someone else, with their permission.”
  10. Our search: PubMed, 28 October 2026, for finasteride with partner, spouse, wife, relationship or couple, and for post-finasteride syndrome with quality of life or relationships. No study of partners or couples was found.
  11. Till C, Tangen CM, Goodman P, Unger JM, Thompson IM. No evidence of post-finasteride syndrome in 267,983 person-years follow-up in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. Urology, published online 22 August 2026 (abstract read). US trial records linked to Medicare claims, median follow-up 20 years; of 22 conditions “potentially related to PFS, none had a statistically significant association with treatment arm”. The authors conclude this “does not support the concept” of PFS.
  12. Photo: Propecia box and tablet, Kristoferb, 2010, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources checked on 28 October 2026. AI-assisted writing and review, not clinical review.

This information does not replace medical advice. Talk to your doctor before you make any decision about your treatment.

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Finasteride: what the official texts say, country by country

For the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride (Propecia), the product information we read in the United Kingdom, in the United States, in Canada, in Australia, in New Zealand, in Germany, in France, in Italy, in Spain, in Brazil and in India, in some places that of another product, lists sexual dysfunction that continued after treatment was stopped. In each of those texts it stands among side effects reported once the medicine was in general use. Several add that these reports come from a group of unknown size, so how often this happens, and whether finasteride is the cause, cannot always be established. Patients call lasting effects after finasteride post-finasteride syndrome (PFS). The wording a European Commission decision set for the EU in 2025 is about mood and thoughts of suicide, and has no sentence about sexual side effects continuing after the medicine is stopped.

This is a record of what each text says and of the date it prints. A text is quoted in its own words, or summarised where the row says so. It is not a comparison of countries. All medicines and countries

Finasteride: the official texts, country by country (85 texts read)
Finasteride: what each text says about sexual side effects, and about side effects that continue after stopping.
Country or regionWhat the text saysDocumentDates
United Kingdom

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effects · Psychiatric disorders: · Uncommon*:Decreased libido.

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effects · Reproductive system and breast disorders: · Uncommon*:Erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorder (including decreased volume of ejaculate).

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8 Undesirable effectsIn addition, the following have been reported in post-marketing use: persistence of sexual dysfunction (decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorder) after discontinuation of treatment with 'Propecia'; male breast cancer (see 4.4 Special warnings and precautions for use).

The same text also says4.8 Undesirable effectsThe frequency of adverse reactions reported during post-marketing use cannot be determined as they are derived from spontaneous reports.

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effectsIn these studies, the following drug-related adverse experiences were reported in ≥1% of men treated with 'Propecia': decreased libido ('Propecia', 1.8% vs. placebo, 1.3%) and erectile dysfunction (1.3%, 0.7%). In addition, decreased volume of ejaculate was reported in 0.8% of men treated with 'Propecia' and 0.4% of men treated with placebo. Resolution of these side effects occurred in men who discontinued therapy with 'Propecia' and in many who continued therapy. The effect of 'Propecia' on ejaculate volume was measured in a separate study and was not different from that seen with placebo.

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effectsDrug-related sexual undesirable effects were more common in the finasteride 1 mg-treated men than the placebo-treated men, with frequencies during the first 12 months of 3.8% vs 2.1%, respectively. The incidence of these effects decreased to 0.6% in finasteride 1 mg-treated men over the following four years. Approximately 1% of men in each treatment group discontinued due to drug-related sexual adverse experiences in the first 12 months, and the incidence declined thereafter.

This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text.

Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.

Text for professionals Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC): Propecia 1 mg Film-Coated TabletsPropecia 1 mg film-coated tablets, Organon Pharma (UK) Limited · Read in a compendium of product information: emcAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; 5 related documents, with such a sentence; 5 related documents, with no such sentenceText revisedChecked
European Union

This text has no sentence about sexual side effects continuing after the medicine is stopped.

This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text.

This is wording for national product texts. There is no single EU product text for this medicine.

Document from the regulator Finasteride- and dutasteride-containing medicinal products, Article 31 referral: Annex III Amendments to relevant sections of the Product InformationRead on the regulator's site: European Medicines AgencyAlso on record: 2 more related documents, with no such sentenceThe text prints no dateChecked
United States

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping6 ADVERSE REACTIONS · 6.2 Postmarketing ExperienceReproductive System: sexual dysfunction that continued after discontinuation of treatment, including erectile dysfunction, libido disorders, ejaculation disorders, and orgasm disorders; male infertility and/or poor seminal quality (normalization or improvement of seminal quality has been reported after discontinuation of finasteride); testicular pain; hematospermia.

The same text also says6 ADVERSE REACTIONS · 6.2 Postmarketing ExperienceThe following adverse reactions have been identified during post approval use of PROPECIA. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure:

This sentence stands in the list of adverse reactions. The warnings section of this text has no entry on sexual function.

Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.

This text names sexual side effects in several places that this row does not show. Together those passages are too long to reproduce here. The document link in this row opens the text. That they are not shown says nothing about how common these side effects are.

On 14 October 2026 we searched the labels in openFDA, the FDA's open database. A sentence that sexual dysfunction continued after treatment was stopped stood on 151 of the 181 labels in that database that name finasteride, and on each of them among the adverse reactions, in no warnings section. Of the 30 without it, 10 are hair products with labels in the Drug Facts style, 5 are listings of compounded solutions for the skin, 2 have no text on adverse reactions, and 13 are older labels of 5 mg tablets with an earlier list of adverse reactions.

A table cell or list line is shown whole, as the text prints it. Some of them also name side effects that are not sexual.

Text for professionals PROPECIA® (finasteride) tablets for oral use: Full Prescribing InformationPropecia tablets 1 mg, Organon LLC · Read in the government's medicines database: DailyMedAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; 2 related documents, with such a sentence; 3 related documents, with no such sentenceText revisedChecked
Canada

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping8 ADVERSE REACTIONS · 8.5 Post-Market Adverse ReactionsPsychiatric disorders: mood alterations and depression, decreased libido that continued after discontinuation of treatment.

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping8 ADVERSE REACTIONS · 8.5 Post-Market Adverse ReactionsReproductive system and breast disorders: sexual dysfunction (erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorders) that continued after discontinuation of treatment, breast tenderness and enlargement, male breast cancer, testicular pain, hematospermia, male infertility and/or poor seminal quality.

The same text also says8 ADVERSE REACTIONS · 8.5 Post-Market Adverse ReactionsBecause these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate the frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

This sentence stands in the list of adverse reactions. The warnings section of this text has no entry on sexual function.

Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.

This text names sexual side effects in several places that this row does not show. Together those passages are too long to reproduce here. The document link in this row opens the text. That they are not shown says nothing about how common these side effects are.

A table cell or list line is shown whole, as the text prints it. Some of them also name side effects that are not sexual.

Text for professionals PRODUCT MONOGRAPH INCLUDING PATIENT MEDICATION INFORMATION: PrPROPECIA® finasteride tablets, Film-coated Tablets 1 mg, USPPropecia film-coated tablets 1 mg, Organon Canada Inc. · Read in the regulator's own database: Drug Product DatabaseAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; 2 related documents, with no such sentenceText revisedChecked
Australia

Sexual side effects that continue after stoppingSection 4.8 · Post-marketing experienceIn section 4.8, under post-marketing experience, Australia's product information for Propecia lists a lower sex drive, and sexual dysfunction (erection and ejaculation problems), each as having gone on after the treatment was stopped.Summarised, not quoted, because of the TGA's access terms.

The same text also saysSection 4.8 · Post-marketing experienceThe text says these reports come from a group of unknown size, so how often this happens, and whether the medicine is the cause, cannot always be established.Summarised, not quoted, because of the TGA's access terms.

The regulator's site asks readers to accept its terms before it shows this text.

This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text.

Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.

Text for professionals AUSTRALIAN PRODUCT INFORMATION PROPECIA (finasteride) TabletsPROPECIA, Organon Pharma Pty Ltd · Read in the regulator's own database: TGA eBSAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentenceText revisedChecked
New Zealand

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effects · Adverse events identified during clinical trialsIn these studies, the following medicine-related adverse experiences were reported in ≥ 1% of men treated with PROPECIA: • decreased libido (PROPECIA, 1.8% vs. placebo, 1.3%) • erectile dysfunction (1.3%, 0.7%). In addition, decreased volume of ejaculate was reported in 0.8% of men treated with PROPECIA and 0.4% of men treated with placebo.

The same text also says4.8 Undesirable effects · Adverse events identified during clinical trialsResolution of these adverse effects occurred in men who discontinued therapy with PROPECIA and in many who continued therapy. In a separate study, the effect of PROPECIA on ejaculate volume was measured and was not different from that seen with placebo. The incidence of each of the above adverse effects decreased to ≤ 0.3% by the fifth year of treatment with PROPECIA.

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8 Undesirable effects · Adverse events identified during postmarketing experience · Psychiatric disorders:decreased libido that continued after discontinuation of treatment.

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8 Undesirable effects · Adverse events identified during postmarketing experience · Reproductive system and breast disorders:sexual dysfunction (erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorders) that continued after discontinuation of treatment

The same text also says4.8 Undesirable effects · Adverse events identified during postmarketing experienceBecause these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate the frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

This sentence stands in the list of adverse reactions. The warnings section of this text has no entry on sexual function.

Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.

Text for professionals New Zealand Data Sheet, PROPECIAPropecia 1 mg film coated tablet, Organon (New Zealand) Limited · Read in the regulator's own database: MedsafeAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; patients' leaflet, with such a sentence; related document, with such a sentenceText revisedChecked
Germany

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Nebenwirkungen · Psychiatrische Erkrankungen: · Gelegentlich*verminderte LibidoOriginal text: German. Our translation:decreased libido

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Nebenwirkungen · Erkrankungen der Geschlechtsorgane und der Brustdrüse: · Gelegentlich*erektile Dysfunktion, Ejakulationsstörung (einschl. vermindertes Ejakulatvolumen)Original text: German. Our translation:erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorder (including decreased volume of ejaculate)

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8 NebenwirkungenNach Markteinführung wurde zusätzlich über Folgendes berichtet: Persistenz von sexueller Dysfunktion (verminderte Libido, erektile Dysfunktion und Ejakulationsstörungen) nach dem Absetzen von Finasterid; Brustkrebs beim Mann (siehe Abschnitt 4.4 Besondere Warnhinweise und Vorsichtsmaßnahmen für die Anwendung).Original text: German. Our translation:In addition, the following has been reported after marketing: persistence of sexual dysfunction (decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorders) after finasteride has been stopped; breast cancer in men (see section 4.4 Special warnings and precautions for use).

The same text also says4.8 NebenwirkungenDie Häufigkeit der nach Markteinführung berichteten unerwünschten Ereignisse kann nicht bestimmt werden, da es sich um Spontanberichte handelt.Original text: German. Our translation:The frequency of the adverse events reported after marketing cannot be determined, as they come from spontaneous reports.

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 NebenwirkungenMit einer Häufigkeit von 3,8 % bzw. 2,1 % während der ersten 12 Monate waren sexuelle Nebenwirkungen bei den mit Finasterid behandelten Männern häufiger als bei den mit Placebo behandelten Männern. Die Häufigkeit dieser Nebenwirkungen sank bei den mit Finasterid behandelten Männern auf 0,6 % im Laufe der folgenden 4 Jahre. Ca. 1 % der Männer in jeder Behandlungsgruppe beendete die Behandlung aufgrund sexueller Nebenwirkungen während der ersten 12 Monate, danach nahm die Häufigkeit ab.Original text: German. Our translation:With frequencies of 3.8% and 2.1% respectively during the first 12 months, sexual side effects were more common in men treated with finasteride than in men treated with placebo. The frequency of these side effects fell to 0.6% in men treated with finasteride over the following 4 years. About 1% of the men in each treatment group stopped treatment because of sexual side effects during the first 12 months; after that, the frequency decreased.

This is the holder's own copy. The regulator's database asks visitors to accept its terms first, which we did not do.

This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text.

Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.

Text for professionals Fachinformation (Zusammenfassung der Merkmale des Arzneimittels)Propecia® 1 mg Filmtabletten, Organon Healthcare GmbH · Read on the holder's own site: Organon Healthcare GmbHAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; patients' leaflet, with no such sentence; 2 related documents, with such a sentence; related document, with no such sentenceText revisedChecked
France

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Effets indésirables · Affections psychiatriques · Peu fréquent*baisse de la libidoOriginal text: French. Our translation:decreased libido

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Effets indésirables · Affections des organes de reproduction et du sein · Peu fréquent*troubles de l'érection, troubles de l'éjaculation (y compris diminution du volume de l'éjaculat)Original text: French. Our translation:erection disorders, ejaculation disorders (including decreased volume of ejaculate)

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8. Effets indésirablesDe plus, depuis la mise sur le marché, les effets indésirables suivants ont été rapportés : persistance des troubles de la fonction sexuelle (baisse de la libido, troubles de l'érection et de l'éjaculation) après l'arrêt du traitement par finastéride ; cancer du sein chez l'homme (voir rubrique 4.4 « Mises en garde spéciales et précautions d'emploi »).Original text: French. Our translation:In addition, since marketing, the following adverse effects have been reported: persistence of sexual function disorders (decreased libido, erection and ejaculation disorders) after treatment with finasteride has been stopped; breast cancer in men (see section 4.4 “Special warnings and precautions for use”).

The same text also says4.8. Effets indésirablesLa fréquence des effets indésirables rapportés depuis la commercialisation ne peut être déterminée dans la mesure où elle découle de cas de pharmacovigilance spontanés.Original text: French. Our translation:The frequency of the adverse effects reported since marketing cannot be determined, as it derives from spontaneous pharmacovigilance cases.

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Effets indésirablesLes effets indésirables sexuels ont été plus fréquents chez les hommes traités par le finastéride que chez les hommes recevant le placebo, avec des fréquences respectives de 3,8 % vs 2,1 % pendant les 12 premiers mois. L'incidence de ces effets a diminué à 0,6 % chez les hommes traités par le finastéride au cours des quatre années suivantes. Environ 1 % des hommes (dans chaque groupe) ont arrêté le traitement au cours des 12 premiers mois en raison d'effets indésirables sexuels liés au traitement. Cette incidence a diminué par la suite.Original text: French. Our translation:Sexual adverse effects were more frequent in men treated with finasteride than in men receiving placebo, with frequencies of 3.8% and 2.1% respectively during the first 12 months. The incidence of these effects fell to 0.6% in men treated with finasteride over the following four years. About 1% of men (in each group) stopped treatment during the first 12 months because of treatment-related sexual adverse effects. This incidence decreased thereafter.

The text itself prints no date of revision.

An official list of medicines we read shows the originator product as cancelled, revoked or archived. This is the text of another product, the one named in this row.

This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text.

Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.

Text for professionals Résumé des Caractéristiques du ProduitFINASTERIDE ARROW LAB 1 mg, comprimé pelliculé, ARROW GENERIQUES · Read in the government's medicines database: Base de données publique des médicamentsAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; patients' leaflet, with no such sentence; 9 related documents, with such a sentence; 3 related documents, with no such sentenceUpdated by the regulatorChecked
Italy

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Effetti indesiderati · Disturbi psichiatrici: · Non comune*Diminuzione della libidoOriginal text: Italian. Our translation:Decreased libido

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Effetti indesiderati · Patologie dell’apparato riproduttivo e della mammella: · Non comune*Disfunzione erettile, disordini dell’eiaculazione (incluso diminuzione del volume dell’eiaculato)Original text: Italian. Our translation:Erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorders (including decreased volume of ejaculate)

The same text also says4.8 Effetti indesideratiIncidenze presentate quali differenze dal placebo negli studi clinici al 12° mese.Original text: Italian. Our translation:Incidences given as differences from placebo in clinical studies at month 12.

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8 Effetti indesideratiInoltre, durante l’uso post-marketing sono stati riportati: disfunzione sessuale persistente (riduzione della libido, disfunzione erettile e disturbi dell’eiaculazione) dopo l’interruzione del trattamento con finasterideOriginal text: Italian. Our translation:In addition, during post-marketing use the following has been reported: persistent sexual dysfunction (reduced libido, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorders) after treatment with finasteride was stopped

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Effetti indesideratiEffetti indesiderati correlati al medicinale inerenti la sfera sessuale sono stati più comuni fra gli uomini trattati con finasteride che fra quelli trattati con placebo con frequenze durante i primi 12 mesi di 3,8 % vs 2,1 %, rispettivamente. L’incidenza di tali effetti è diminuita allo 0,6 % negli uomini trattati con finasteride nel corso dei successivi quattro anni. Circa l’1 % degli uomini in ciascun gruppo di trattamento ha interrotto la terapia a seguito di esperienze avverse della sfera sessuale correlate con il medicinale verificatesi nei primi 12 mesi e l’incidenza è in seguito diminuita.Original text: Italian. Our translation:Drug-related adverse effects affecting the sexual sphere were more common among men treated with finasteride than among those treated with placebo, with frequencies during the first 12 months of 3.8% vs 2.1% respectively. The incidence of these effects fell to 0.6% in men treated with finasteride over the following four years. About 1% of men in each treatment group stopped therapy because of drug-related sexual adverse experiences in the first 12 months, and the incidence decreased thereafter.

The text itself prints no date of revision.

This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text.

Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.

Text for professionals Riassunto delle caratteristiche del prodottoPropecia 1 mg compresse rivestite con film, Organon Italia S.r.l. · Read in the regulator's own database: Banca Dati FarmaciAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; 2 related documents, with such a sentence; 2 related documents, with no such sentenceMade available by the regulatorChecked
Spain

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Reacciones adversas · Trastornos psiquiátricos: · Poco frecuentes*Disminución de la libidoOriginal text: Spanish. Our translation:Decreased libido

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Reacciones adversas · Trastornos del aparato reproductor y de la mama: · Poco frecuentes*Disfunción eréctil, trastorno de la eyaculación (incluida disminución del volumen de eyaculación)Original text: Spanish. Our translation:Erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorder (including decreased volume of ejaculate)

The same text also says4.8 Reacciones adversasLas incidencias se presentan en forma de diferencia respecto al placebo en estudios clínicos a los 12 meses.Original text: Spanish. Our translation:Incidences are given as the difference from placebo in clinical studies at 12 months.

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8. Reacciones adversasAdemás, durante su uso después de la comercialización se ha notificado: persistencia de la disfunción sexual (disminución de la libido, disfunción eréctil y trastornos de la eyaculación) después de la interrupción del tratamiento con finasteridaOriginal text: Spanish. Our translation:In addition, during use after marketing the following has been reported: persistence of sexual dysfunction (decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorders) after treatment with finasteride was stopped

Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Reacciones adversasLas reacciones adversas sexuales relacionadas con el medicamento fueron más frecuentes en los varones tratados con finasterida que en los que recibían un placebo, con frecuencias durante los 12 primeros meses del 3,8 y el 2,1% respectivamente. La incidencia de estos efectos disminuyó al 0,6% en varones tratados con finasterida durante los cuatro años siguientes. Aproximadamente el 1% de los varones en cada grupo de tratamiento interrumpió el tratamiento debido a reacciones adversas sexuales relacionadas con el medicamento en los primeros 12 meses, y después la incidencia disminuyó.Original text: Spanish. Our translation:Drug-related sexual adverse reactions were more frequent in men treated with finasteride than in those receiving placebo, with frequencies during the first 12 months of 3.8% and 2.1% respectively. The incidence of these effects fell to 0.6% in men treated with finasteride over the following four years. About 1% of the men in each treatment group stopped treatment because of drug-related sexual adverse reactions in the first 12 months, and the incidence decreased afterwards.

This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text.

Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.

Text for professionals Ficha técnicaPropecia 1 mg comprimidos recubiertos con película, Organon Salud, S.L. · Read in the regulator's own database: CIMAAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; patients' leaflet, with no such sentence; related document, with no such sentenceText revisedChecked
Brazil

Sexual side effects, as listed8. QUAIS OS MALES QUE ESTE MEDICAMENTO PODE ME CAUSAR? · Reação comum (ocorre entre 1% e 10% dos pacientes que utilizam este medicamento):pode sentir menos desejo de manter relações sexuais e/ou dificuldade na obtenção de uma ereção.Original text: Portuguese. Our translation:you may feel less desire to have sexual relations and/or have difficulty getting an erection.

Sexual side effects, as listed8. QUAIS OS MALES QUE ESTE MEDICAMENTO PODE ME CAUSAR? · Reação incomum (ocorre entre 0,1% e 1% dos pacientes que utilizam este medicamento):pode ter uma redução na quantidade de sêmen liberada durante a relação sexual (isto não parece interferir na função sexual normal).Original text: Portuguese. Our translation:you may have a reduction in the amount of semen released during sexual intercourse (this does not appear to interfere with normal sexual function).

The same text also says8. QUAIS OS MALES QUE ESTE MEDICAMENTO PODE ME CAUSAR?Nos estudos clínicos, estes efeitos adversos desapareceram em homens que pararam de tomar finasterida e em muitos homens que continuaram o tratamento.Original text: Portuguese. Our translation:In clinical studies, these adverse effects disappeared in men who stopped taking finasteride and in many men who continued treatment.

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping8. QUAIS OS MALES QUE ESTE MEDICAMENTO PODE ME CAUSAR? · Frequência desconhecida: durante a comercialização do medicamento, as seguintes reações foram relatadas voluntariamente, não sendo possível estimar o tamanho da população exposta:problemas de ejaculação que continuou após a descontinuação do tratamentoOriginal text: Portuguese. Our translation:problems with ejaculation that continued after treatment was discontinued

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping8. QUAIS OS MALES QUE ESTE MEDICAMENTO PODE ME CAUSAR? · Frequência desconhecida: durante a comercialização do medicamento, as seguintes reações foram relatadas voluntariamente, não sendo possível estimar o tamanho da população exposta:diminuição do desejo sexual que continuou após a descontinuação do tratamentoOriginal text: Portuguese. Our translation:decreased sexual desire that continued after treatment was discontinued

Sexual side effects that continue after stopping8. QUAIS OS MALES QUE ESTE MEDICAMENTO PODE ME CAUSAR? · Frequência desconhecida: durante a comercialização do medicamento, as seguintes reações foram relatadas voluntariamente, não sendo possível estimar o tamanho da população exposta:dificuldade de ter ereção que continuou após a descontinuação do tratamentoOriginal text: Portuguese. Our translation:difficulty having an erection that continued after treatment was discontinued

This is the holder's own copy. The regulator's database refused our requests (it blocks by country; we asked from Denmark).

An official list of medicines we read shows the originator product as cancelled, revoked or archived. This is the text of another product, the one named in this row.

Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.

Patient leaflet finasterida, EMS S/A, comprimido revestido 1 mg: bula para o pacienteFinasterida 1 mg comprimido revestido, EMS S/A · Read on the holder's own site: Sara – Plataforma Oficial de Bulas Digitais de Medicamentos do Grupo EMSAlso on record: 2 texts for professionals, could not be opened; 3 more patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; 2 more patients' leaflets, could not be openedText approvedChecked
India

Sexual side effects that continue after stoppingUndesirable Effects · Postmarketing Experience · Reproductive System:Sexual dysfunction that continued after discontinuation of treatment, including erectile dysfunction, libido disorders, ejaculation disorders, and orgasm disorders; male infertility and/or poor seminal quality (normalization or improvement of seminal quality has been reported after discontinuation of finasteride); testicular pain.

The same text also saysUndesirable Effects · Postmarketing ExperienceThe following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of finasteride. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure:

This is the holder's own copy. This regulator publishes no database of such texts.

This sentence stands in the list of adverse reactions. The warnings section of this text has no entry on sexual function.

Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.

This text names sexual side effects in several places that this row does not show. Together those passages are too long to reproduce here. The document link in this row opens the text. That they are not shown says nothing about how common these side effects are.

A table cell or list line is shown whole, as the text prints it. Some of them also name side effects that are not sexual.

Text for professionals FINPECIA TabletsFinpecia tablets (finasteride IP 1 mg, film-coated), Cipla Ltd. · Read on the holder's own site: Cipla (ciplamed.com)Also on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentenceText revisedChecked

Brand names

These are the brand names of finasteride we saw in the official lists, compendia and regulators' pages we opened on or after 14 October 2026. A country may have more.

Propecia
United Kingdom, United States, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Spain
Proscar
United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain
Chibro-Proscar
France
Ricit
New Zealand
Prostide
Italy
Genaprost
Italy
Finastid
Italy
Asterid
Italy
Ridestin
Italy
Finestar
Italy
Fendazel
Italy
Stecur
Italy
Sitas
Italy
Finacapil
Italy
Ormicton
Italy
Carefinast
Italy
Finedor
Italy
Terip
Italy
Alocare
Spain
Litace
Spain
Maxpil
Spain
Excalv
Brazil
Finalop
Brazil
Finarid
Brazil
Finastil
Brazil
Prohair
Brazil

What is not known

  • How often PFS happens is unknown. The UK text for professionals says the frequency of the side effects reported after marketing, among them sexual dysfunction that persisted after treatment was stopped, “cannot be determined”, because they come from spontaneous reports. (source)

Code and reporting

In a report to a medicines regulator, the term is Post 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor syndrome (MedDRA code 10082430). Where to report, country by country

Every row in this table was checked on or after . To quote this record, name SIDEfxHUB and give this page's address. All medicines and countries · The whole record as a file: JSON · CSV · How these texts are checked

You may reuse this record under CC BY 4.0 if you credit SIDEfxHUB and give this page's address. The licence covers our compilation, not the texts quoted in it, in the original or in our translation, and not the article above.