In The Media: PSSD and Related Sexual Dysfunctions

Below is a list of media articles which either feature or mention enduring sexual dysfunction after stopping antidepressants, finasteride (Propecia) or isotretinoin (Accutane).

If you can find others, please let us know.

Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD)

Despite numerous conversations with journalists, and ongoing efforts to raise awareness, there appears to be significant reluctance in the media to write about PSSD. Some of the articles below make only passing reference to it.

We are certainly aware of cases in the past where mention of PSSD has been reduced or removed from articles before publishing, or where a commissioned article has been dropped.

In comparison to the few articles about PSSD, there have been over 180 on Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS), even though PSSD appeared in the medical literature five years prior to PFS, and antidepressants are used by significantly more people.

DatePublisherDetails
25 Mar 2006The New York TimesExpecting Too Much From a Mind Drug
Dr Bahrick's letter originally included reference to PSSD, but this was edited out of the published version.
15 Dec 2008The Boston GlobeAntidepressants may damage more sex lives
16 Feb 2010GesundheitstippErst Depression, dann tote Hose
15 Nov 2010StreetvibesDespair Takes a Young Man’s Life
9 Feb 2012The McGill DailyKilling your sex life?
19 Feb 2013xoJaneI Went off Antidepressants, But My Sex Drive Never Came Back
11 Mar 2014VolkskrantBlijvende seksuele stoornis door antidepressivum
The Dutch newspaper featured this article on its front page following concerns raised by Lareb, the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre.
25 Apr 2014Men’s HealthThe Pill That Kills Your Sex Drive
3 Jul 2014La StampaGli antidepressivi possono causare disfunzioni sessuali in donne e uomini. Il parere del sessuologo
3 Dec 2014SexSmartFilmsLibido Lost
31 Mar 2015Progress in MindSome drugs, not much rock and roll
23 Aug 2015BroadlyThe Post-SSRI Orgasmic High
6 Sep 2016NarrativelyI Started Taking Zoloft Five Years Ago. I Haven’t Felt Sexual Sensation Since
24 Oct 2016insalutenewsAntidepressivi ed effetti collaterali. La testimonianza di Leonardo
20 Mar 2017The Daily MailDepression pills sabotaged my love life
The published article was heavily edited from the original version which can be found here:The Pills That Steal Sex
6 May 2017The Guardian‘I don’t know who I am without it’: the truth about long-term antidepressant use
28 Aug 2017International Society for Sexual MedicineReview Discusses Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunctions
2 Oct 2017International Society for Sexual MedicinePatients Should Be Aware of Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction, Reviewers Say
8 Jun 2018The GuardianMy life in sex: ‘After taking antidepressants, my genitals felt numb’
28 Jun 2018U.S. NewsDo You Have Sexual Side Effects From Antidepressants You Stopped Taking?
28 Jun 2018Lyon CapitaleUn antidépresseur peut-il détruire votre vie sexuelle?
12 Aug 2018Fundació Institut Català de FarmacologiaCatalan version: Disfunció sexual persistent: antidepressius, finasterida i retinoides
Spanish version: Disfunción sexual persistente: antidepresivos, finasterida y retinoides
3 Nov 2018MetroAntidepressants were supposed to help me but they ended up making me impotent
10 Jun 2019Daily MailHow depression pills can wreck your sex life
15 Jun 2019Il SalvagenteAntidepressivi sotto accusa: “Così ho perso il piacere della mia intimità”
4 July 2019Le LanceurProzac, Zoloft, Deroxat… Des troubles sexuels après l’arrêt du traitement
26 Aug 2019Tages-AnzeigerZwanzigjährige sagen mir: Die Lust ist weg
27 Aug 2019ZDFLibidoverlust durch Antidepressiva?
Nebenwirkungen von Antidepressiva - Nie wieder Sex?
16 Sep 2019Quotidiano SanitàDisfunzione sessuale persistente dopo terapia anti-depressiva
1 Oct 2019Osservatorio Malattie RareDisfunzione sessuale post-SSRI: quando gli antidepressivi lasciano il segno
29 Nov 2019Poradnikzdrowie.plZespół dysfunkcji seksualnych po SSRI - przyczyny, objawy, leczenie
10 Dec 2019Gli Stati GeneraliQuando, con gli antidepressivi, sparisce la sessualità
29 Jan 2020Notizie scientifiche.itDisfunzione sessuale post terapia antidepressiva, scienziato chiede maggiore riconoscimento della condizione

Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS)

We hope to include some articles about PFS in due course.

Post-Retinoid Sexual Dysfunction (PRSD)

Isotretinoin is a retinoid used in the treatment of acne. For some reason, media articles about sexual dysfunction linked to isotretinoin are even rarer than those for PSSD, despite long standing reports of the problem.

DatePublisherDetails
16 Aug 2007Mail OnlineDoctor 'killed by' patient who believed acne drug had made him impotent
2 Nov 2015Cosmopolitan"Miracle” pill thousands of women are prescribed for acne is having devastating effects on their sex lives...
12 Aug 2018Fundació Institut Català de FarmacologiaSee the entry dated 12 Aug 2018, under the PSSD section.
26 Nov 2018Mail OnlineThe acne drug that can steal young men’s virility
17 May 2019BBCNHS 'should not prescribe acne drug'
4 Oct 2019Channel 4 NewsAcne drug ‘linked to at least 14 deaths’ this year

Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD)

The following articles don’t focus specifically on antidepressant-induced PGAD. However, they provide a useful insight into the condition and its consequences.

DatePublisherDetails  
23 April 2008Fox NewsNever Satisfied: The Curse of Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome
14 April 2014The GuardianWomen with persistent genital arousal disorder: ‘People hear orgasm and they think it’s a good thing’
15 June 2017TonicBeing Constantly Aroused is a Living Hell
Sept 2017Women's HealthcarePersistent genital arousal disorder: The uninvited guest (Part 2)
Two additional PGAD accounts
11 Dec 2017MetroWhat's it like being permanently aroused?

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