Gen Z reveals antidepressants are damaging their sex lives

Young adults are increasingly speaking out about the long-term sexual side effects of antidepressants, with some reporting that the medications have permanently altered their ability to experience pleasure.

In an interview with the New York Post, 27-year-old commercial truck driver Nick shared his experience after being prescribed a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) for moderate anxiety and depression. After six years on the medication, he stopped taking it and soon noticed a loss of sensation in his genitals. Over several weeks, the numbness worsened, and his sex drive never returned to its previous level.

“That region feels as sensitive as the skin on the back of my elbow does,” said Nick, who would ultimately discover he suffers from Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD).

Antidepressants are known to cause sexual dysfunction in some cases, with side effects that can persist for years after stopping the medication. The National Institutes of Health’s SNOMED, a medical terminology database used in the US healthcare system, recognizes PSSD as a disorder, describing it as “persistent sexual side effects” such as genital numbness and loss of libido which can last for years. Several medical agencies have acknowledged the condition, and commonly prescribed antidepressants like Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil include warnings about potential sexual dysfunction as a side effect.

“I wasn’t at risk of taking my own life or anything like that … I still had a hell of a lot of fun in life … I think I definitely should have [done] therapy first and foremost,” Nick said. “Now there’s just no enjoyment in anything, like hobbies, or hanging out with my girlfriend, or watching a movie, or playing video games, my favorite thing to do, it’s all exactly the same. It’s like watching a brick wall.”

A 2023 study published in the Annals of General Psychiatry by researchers at Howard University and Tel Aviv University analyzed men seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED), comparing those who had taken SSRIs to those who had not. The study found that using SSRIs significantly increased the risk of developing ED. 

These findings raise concerns given the rising number of young adults and teenagers being prescribed antidepressants. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, prescriptions for antidepressants among people aged 12 to 25 increased by two-thirds from 2016 to 2022.

Newly appointed Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed interest in reviewing the effects of SSRIs, particularly due to their widespread prescription to minors. In his first meeting with HHS staff, Kennedy stated that he aims to address concerns about antidepressants. The recently established Make America Healthy Again Commission, chaired by Kennedy, will compile a report assessing “the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.”