Impact of Antidepressants on Male Fertility: New Data on Duloxetine
The current study indicates that duloxetine administered at a dose of 60 mg does not have an impact on sperm quality.
In Brief: FDA Approves New Drug to Improve Sexual Desire in Women
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women. Bremelanotide (to be marketed as Vyleesi) is used on-demand. Bremelanotide is a peptide [...]
Medications for Female Sexual Dysfunction: Are They Better than Placebo?
Randomized controlled trials of pharmacologic agents for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) have typically shown significant placebo responses. Â In a recent meta-analysis, researchers have assessed the magnitude of this effect. The analysis was [...]
Female Sexual Dysfunction: New Treatments on the Way
 Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is the most common type of female sexual dysfunction, affecting approximately 10% of all adult women. In certain populations of women that we see in our clinic, including women [...]
Novel Approaches to Antidepressant-Induced Sexual Side Effects: Exercise and Acupuncture
Sexual side effects may occur in 40% to 70% of patients treated with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) and is a common reason for poor compliance with treatment and eventual discontinuation. When sexual side effects occur, they tend to emerge early, are persistent, and rarely resolve spontaneously. A new study, reviewed in Medscape, suggests that exercise may help to reduce sexual side effects:
Paroxetine (Paxil) May Affect Sperm Quality
Within the field of psychiatry, there is a growing body of literature studying the use of antidepressants in women in the context of pregnancy and the postpartum period. However, much less attention has focused on the impact of these drugs on fertility, particularly in men. Because major depressive disorders affect about one in 10 American men over their lifetimes, it is essential to study the effects of antidepressants on male fertility.
Sildenafil (Viagra) Treatment of Women with Antidepressant-Associated Sexual Dysfunction
While some side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and headaches associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants tend to decrease or resolve over time, other side effects such as sexual dysfunction rarely remit spontaneously. Treatment of sexual side effects in women is especially important when about 30-70% of patients taking antidepressants may experience sexual side effects, combined with the fact that women are prescribed antidepressants at rates of 2 to 1 when compared to men.
Testosterone Patch Improves Sexual Functioning in Postmenopausal Women
Sexual dysfunction is common among postmenopausal women and include a spectrum of problems, including low (or hypoactive) sexual desire, decreased satisfaction, and discomfort.  Reports indicate that the prevalence of hypoactive sexual desire ranges from 9% in naturally postmenopausal women up to 26% in younger surgically postmenopausal women.   A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine evaluates the effectiveness of the testosterone patch for postmenopausal women with low sexual desire.
Antidepressant-Induced Sexual Side Effects
A recent article published in Psychiatric Times reviews options for the management of antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction. According to this review, sexual side effects may occur in 40% to 70% of patients treated with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) and is a common reason for poor compliance with treatment and eventual discontinuation. When sexual side effects occur, they tend to emerge early, are persistent, and rarely resolve spontaneously.