Drugs That Affect Male Sexual Function

Abstract

Many drugs are known to alter normal male sexual function. In most instances, this is an undesirable effect and every effort is made to minimize the sexual adverse effects of therapeutic pharmacological agents. The effort to use medications that have minimal risk for disruption of sexual function is complicated by the development and introduction of multiple medications for chronic vascular and neurological disease. Patient compliance can be problematic when a therapeutic agent interferes with sexual function and serious complications have been seen when patients discontinue their medications because, in their minds, the medications are interfering with their sexuality. This chapter attempts to enhance the practioners knowledge of the sexual adverse effects associated with multiple classes of therapeutic agents commonly used in medicine today.