Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39302425›Full record

ArticleSocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2025

Frequency of self-reported persistent post-treatment genital hypoesthesia among past antidepressant users: a cross-sectional survey of sexual and gender minority youth in Canada and the US.

Yassie Pirani, J Andrés Delgado-Ron, Pedro Marinho, Amit Gupta, Emily Grey, Sarah Watt, Kinnon R MacKinnon, Travis Salway

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Yassie PiraniCanadian Post-SSRI/SNRI Sexual Dysfunction Society, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
J Andrés Delgado-RonFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, Room 11300 8888 University Drive Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6, Burnaby, BC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7051-6481
Pedro MarinhoDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Amit GuptaBritish Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2558-1791
Emily GreyCanadian Post-SSRI/SNRI Sexual Dysfunction Society, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Sarah WattFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, Room 11300 8888 University Drive Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6, Burnaby, BC, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5202-9874
Kinnon R MacKinnonSchool of Social Work, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2039-6746
Travis SalwayFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, Room 11300 8888 University Drive Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6, Burnaby, BC, Canada. travis_salway@sfu.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5699-5444

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePersistent post-treatment genital hypoesthesia (PPTGH) is a primary symptom of post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD), an iatrogenic syndrome characterized by enduring sexual dysfunction following the discontinuation of some antidepressants. We aimed to estimate the frequency of PPTGH among past users of psychiatric treatments, particularly antidepressants.

methodsWe used a subsample of UnACoRN, a US/Canada survey of sexual and gender minority youth aged 15 to 29. We included participants with a history of psychiatric drug use. We excluded individuals with genital surgeries or without sexual experience. The analysis involved chi-square tests for initial group comparisons, post hoc tests for multiple comparisons, and logistic regression among those who had stopped taking medication. We exponentiated the regression to estimate the odds of PPTGH by drug type, adjusting for age, sex-assigned-at-birth, hormone treatment, and depression severity in three nested models.

results574 of 2179 survey participants reported genital hypoesthesia. They were older and more likely to report male sex assignment at birth, hormonal therapy history, and psychiatric drug history. The frequency of PPTGH among antidepressant users was 13.2% (93/707) compared to 0.9% (1/102) among users of other medications; adjusted odds ratio: 14.2 (95% CI: 2.92 to 257).

conclusionAntidepressant discontinuation is strongly associated with PPTGH in the US and Canada where SSRI/SNRI medications account for 80% of antidepressant prescriptions. We call for standardized international warnings and transparent, informed consent. Future research should expand upon our efforts to estimate the risk of PSSD by including all the proposed diagnostic criteria, including documentation of temporal changes in PSSD-related symptoms before and after treatment (≥3 months).

Indexed as

Antidepressive AgentsSelective Serotonin Reuptake InhibitorsSexual and Gender MinoritiesSexual Dysfunction, PhysiologicalAdolescentAdultCanadaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleSelf ReportUnited StatesYoung AdultAntidepressive AgentsSelective Serotonin Reuptake InhibitorsLong term adverse effectsPSSDSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitorsSerotonin and norepinepherine reuptake inhibitorsSexual dysfunction

Identifiers

PMID39302425

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.