Description:
<jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>Antipsychotic drugs are associated with sexual dysfunction but the mechanisms are poorly understood.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Aims</jats:title><jats:p>To ascertain the frequency of sexual dysfunction in patients taking conventional antipsychotics and to determine the possible underlying mechanisms.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Method</jats:title><jats:p>Sexual dysfunction was assessed in 101 patients receiving conventional antipsychotic medication, 57 normal controls and 55 controls attending a sexual dysfunction clinic.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Sexual dysfunction occurred in 45% of patients taking antipsychotic medication, 17% of normal controls and 61% of controls attending a sexual dysfunction clinic. Sexual dysfunction was associated with autonomic side-effects in normoprolactinaemic males, but the presence of hyperprolactinaemia overrode other causes of sexual dysfunction. For women, hyperprolactinaemia was the main cause of sexual dysfunction.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Conventional antipsychotic medications cause significant levels of sexual dysfunction. Clinicians should routinely enquire about sexual symptoms prior to the prescription of antipsychotics and on follow-up.</jats:p></jats:sec>