In the majority of cases (well over 99%) there is really nothing to worry about

Some welcome research for the Propecia hair loss drug shows that doctors and patients really do not need to worry about its sexual side effects.  In the study done by the South West Oncology Group in the United States over 17,000 men of the age of 55 and older were tracked for seven years and the number of men reporting erectile dysfunction was very small. Interestingly also the men reported that over the seven year period if they did suffer from some degree of erectile dysfunction it tended to diminish over time meaning that the body got used to the Propecia drug and learn to deal with it.

The chances of suffering from erectile dysfunction when using the Propecia drug are also far less likely if you have good sexual function anyway. This means that younger men who are fit and healthy are likely to be fine. The research that was published in the National Cancer Institute Journal did however note that the men who were given Propecia did report slightly more erectile dysfunction than the men who were given a placebo pill.

The importance of this study is that it confirms that the effects of using the Propecia drug over a long period does not actually worsen erectile dysfunction and cause any permanent impotence. In all cases when men stopped using the Propecia hair loss drug the erectile dysfunction disappeared. The fact that Propecia side effect of erectile dysfunction in some men occurs is probably the biggest reason why men are afraid to try the drug. If given a choice between having hair and having good erectile function obviously most men would choose the latter. What this new study says is that in the vast majority of cases (well over 99 percent) there is really nothing to worry about.

The other interesting finding that came about from this research is that the men who regularly took the Propecia hair loss drug showed a reduction in the likelihood of getting cancer of the prostrate by nearly 25 percent. Originally the finasteride drug which is the active ingredient in Propecia was developed to help men who suffered from prostate problems.  It was only when some of the men using it reported that their hair was growing back that it was realised that this drug could have alternative uses. 

Today over 4 million men all over the world use Propecia to stop themselves going bald and it is probably the most effective and successful hair loss drug in history.