BACKGROUND: Our practical experience indicates that sexual side-effects in subjects taking finasteride 1 mg (Propecia) for androgenetic alopecia are much less common than reported in the literature.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sexual function in subjects taking finasteride (1 mg) compared with age-matched controls using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF).

METHODS: The IIEF, a brief, reliable questionnaire, was self-administered to 236 patients taking Propecia and 236 age-matched males attending the Department of Dermatology of the University of Bologna.

RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed no differences between scores obtained with the IIEF in subjects taking finasteride and controls.

CONCLUSIONS: The sexual and erectile function of subjects taking finasteride does not significantly differ from that of age-matched controls. This is consistent with the experience of many dermatologists who do not see sexual or erectile dysfunction in patients taking Propecia.

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