Global online interest in finasteride sexual side effects

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Public Health
• Digital Epidemiology

Background:

• Finasteride, a 5α-reductase inhibitor, has been linked to male sexual health issues.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added sexual side effects, such as erectile dysfunction and reduced libido, to finasteride drug labels in 2011.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess global online interest in finasteride's sexual side effects.
• To analyze the trends and variations in web searches related to finasteride side effects.
• To evaluate the impact of the 2011 FDA drug label warnings on public online searches.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Google search data from January 2004 to December 2020.
• Analyzed search trends for terms including "Propecia," "finasteride," "finasteride side effects," and "post-finasteride syndrome."
• Compared search volumes across the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia using join-point regression analysis.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in the average annual relative search volume (ARSV) were observed for "finasteride" (14.8% in 2004 to 57.3% in 2020).
• Web searches for "finasteride side effects" (APC: +20.7%) and "post-finasteride syndrome" (APC: +29.2%) showed substantial growth in the U.S.
• Post-2011 FDA warnings correlated with significant increases in ARSV for "finasteride," "finasteride side effects," and "post-finasteride syndrome."

Conclusions:

• There is a notable global increase in online interest surrounding finasteride and its sexual health implications.
• The FDA's 2011 warning appears to have amplified public awareness and online searches.
• Healthcare providers should engage in comprehensive discussions with patients regarding potential sexual side effects before prescribing finasteride.