Development of erectile dysfunction in men treated for major depressive disorder with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Sexual dysfunction (SD) is known to be associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). To determine the effect of different SSRIs on SD development in males, particularly erectile dysfunction (ED), a systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines.Material and methodsLiterature, in English language, published between January 2009 and September 2019 was searched using two electronic databases, PubMed and EMBASE. Studies were screened according to the predefined inclusion-exclusion criteria. The bibliographies of the included articles were screened to identify any relevant articles.ResultsA total of ten articles were included (8/811 articles searched; two from bibliographies of eight included articles). Treatment-emergent SD, particularly ED was observed in male participants, although the ED incidence was low, less than 2%. SSRIs – fluoxetine, escitalopram, and citalopram – showed a higher risk of ED than other SSRIs.ConclusionsThe findings indicated a positive association between SSRIs and SD. However, evidence supporting a strong link between SSRIs and ED was insufficient.