[Sexual side effects of pharmacological treatments]

Introduction: Sexual side effects of pharmacologiocal agents are not well known.

Methods: Medical literature was reviewed and combined with expert opinion of the authors.

Results: Confirmation of a drug iatrogenesis is made by intrinsic imputability based on the clinical history and extrinsic imputability based on published references. First ranking in the list of drugs responsible for adverse sexual effects in both sexes are the selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). They can cause erectile dysfunction and ejaculatory disorders, and in both sexes orgasmic and arousal disorders. Among the drugs whose mechanism is primordial are the neuroleptics firstly, among antalgics tramadol and strong opioid agonists are also potentially deleterious to different degrees on sexual function. Among antihypertensive drugs only thiazide diuretics increase the risk of erectile dysfunction. Among alpha blockers tamusolin and silodosin are frequently responsible for anejaculation. On a less serious level, 5α-reductase inhibitors are associated with sexual disorders in men treated for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) linked to symptomatic benign prostatic hypertrophy. LH-RH antagonists and anti-androgens suppress desire in men, tamoxifen reduces this in women and can also cause dyspareunia and vaginal dryness. The drugs responsible for iatrogenic priapism are also described. A correlation between the pathology treated and the responsibility of the drug for sexual dysfunction can coexist. This is the case for depression, psychosis, hypertension, chronic pain and LUTS; sexual dysfunction is part of the clinical picture.

Conclusion: Sexual side effects of pharmacological treatments are not unusual and must be systematically surveyed in men and women complaining about sexual dysfunction.