Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2025 Feb 21:80:100602.
doi: 10.1016/j.clinsp.2025.100602. eCollection 2025.

Pharmacological treatment of antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction in women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Antonio Carlos Queiroz de Aquino  1 , Ayane Cristine Alves Sarmento  2 , Raphaell Lucas de Araújo Teixeira  3 , Tâmilly Nascimento Batista  3 , Cijara Leonice de Freitas  4 , José Manuel Pérez Mármol  5 , Lucia Alves Silva Lara  6 , Ana Katherine Gonçalves  7
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Pharmacological treatment of antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction in women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Antonio Carlos Queiroz de Aquino et al. Clinics (Sao Paulo). .

Abstract

Background: Antidepressant-Induced Sexual Dysfunction (AISD) is a significant public health concern, and pharmacological treatments may offer potential solutions for managing this side effect. This study aims to assess the efficacy of these therapies in treating AISD in women, as well as their impact on improving depressive symptoms.

Methods: The authors conducted a search of PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases up to July 3, 2024, including Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) comparing pharmacological treatments with placebo. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (RoB 2.0). Data synthesis was performed with RevMan 5.4, and the certainty of the evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

Results: Eleven studies, with 859 women, were included in the review. Two studies were used in the meta-analysis. The participants' ages ranged from 28 to 48 years. The interventions studied included Aphrodite, bupropion SR, ephedrine, maca root, rosa damascena, saffron, sildenafil, testosterone, and the compound VML-670. Bupropion SR 150 mg/b.i.d. showed improvements in three sexual function domains: desire (1.74 [1.03, 2.44], p = 0.00001), arousal (1.30 [1.16, 1.43], p = 0.00001), and orgasm (1.90 [1.78, 2.02], p = 0.00001) compared to placebo. However, it did not improve depressive symptoms (0.46 [-0.71, 1.63], p = 0.44). The GRADE rating for the evidence quality was low.

Conclusions: Bupropion SR 150 mg/b.i.d. is the most effective pharmacological treatment for AISD in women, though the evidence quality is low. Further clinical trials focusing on women with rigorous methodologies are needed to strengthen these findings.

Prospero registration number: CRD42024496931.

Keywords: Antidepressive agents; Sexual dysfunction; Therapeutics; Women.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow chart summarizes the selection process.
Fig 2
Fig. 2
Meta-analysis for sexual function.
Fig 3
Fig. 3
Meta-analysis for depressive symptoms.
Fig 4
Fig. 4
Risk of bias of the studies included.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Niarchou E, Roberts L, Naughton BD. What is the impact of antidepressant side effects on medication adherence among adult patients diagnosed with depressive disorder: a systematic review. J Psychopharmacol. 2024;38(2):127–136. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Winter J, Curtis K, Hu B, Clayton AH. Sexual dysfunction with major depressive disorder and antidepressant treatments: impact, assessment, and management. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2022;21(7):913–930. - PubMed
    1. Clayton AH, El Haddad S, Iluonakhamhe J-P, Martinez CP, Schuck AE. Sexual dysfunction associated with major depressive disorder and antidepressant treatment. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2014;13(10):1361–1374. - PubMed
    1. Atmaca M. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced sexual dysfunction: current management perspectives. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2020;16:1043–1050. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rothmore J. Antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction. Med J Aust. 2020;212(7):329–334. - PubMed

MeSH terms

Substances