Skip to main content
Log in

Sexual Function in Women

Do Antihypertensive Drugs Have an Impact?

  • Review Article
  • Drug Experience
  • Published:
Drug Safety Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Drug-induced sexual dysfunction is well known to occur with antihypertensive drugs in men. There are much less data on the effects of drugs on female sexual function.

The physiology of the female sexual response has similarities to that of the male sexual response and there are therefore good reasons for suspecting that antihypertensive drugs are likely to adversely affect sexual function in women. Present evidence suggests that clonidine, methyldopa, guanethidine and reserpine are associated with adverse effects on sexual function. In healthy volunteers, labetalol appears to reduce vaginal lubrication, but there are no studies in patients receiving the drug therapeutically. Thiazide diuretics may be associated with the worsening of sexual problems, which interestingly appear to be ameliorated by weight reduction. Present evidence on the effects of vasodilators is limited but the evidence suggests that sexual function in women receiving calcium antagonists is not altered by changing to an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor.

Although present evidence suggests that effects on female sexual function may not be very great, it should be recognised that there are very few data in this area. Further work is clearly necessary.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aldridge SA. Drug-induced sexual dysfunction. Clinical Pharmacy 1: 141–147, 1982

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anastos K, Charney P, Charon RA, Cohen E, Jones CY, et al. Hypertension in women: what is really known? Annals of Internal Medicine 115: 287–293, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arze RS, Ramos JM, Rashid HU, Kerr DNS. Amenorrhoea, galactorrhoea, and hyperprolactinaemia induced by methyldopa. British Medical Journal 283: 194, 1981

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bateman DN. Drugs and sexual function. Adverse Drug Reaction Bulletin 80: 308–311, 1980

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer GE, Baker J, Hunyor SN, Marshall P. Side-effects of antihypertensive treatment: a placebo-controlled study. Clinical Science and Molecular Medicine 55: 341s–344s, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  • Beeley L. Drug-induced sexual dysfunction and infertility. Adverse Drug Reaction Poisons Review 3: 23–42, 1984

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan JF, Davis LJ. Drug-induced infertility. Drug Intelligence and Clinical Pharmacy 18: 122–132, 1984

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • BufTum J. Pharmacosexology: the effects of drugs on sexual function — a review. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 14: 5–44, 1982

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Editorial. Clonidine and other antihypertensive drugs. Medical Letter 19: 81–82, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  • Korenman SG. Clinical assessment of drug-induced impairment of sexual function in man. Chest 83 (Suppl.): 391–392, 1983

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Levity JI. Spironolactone therapy and amenorrhoea. Journal of the American Medical Association 130: 2014–2015, 1970

    Google Scholar 

  • Marley JE, Curram JB, General practice data derived tolerability assessment of antihypertensive drugs. Journal of International Medical Research 17: 473–478, 1989

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moss HB, Procci WR. Sexual dysfunction associated with oral antihypertensive medication: a critical survey of the literature. General Hospital Psychiatry 4: 121–129, 1982

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Poloniecki J, Hamilton M. Subjective costs of antihypertensive treatment. Human Toxicology 4: 287–291, 1985

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Riley AJ, Riley EJ. The effect of labetalol and propranolol on the pressor response to sexual arousal in women. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 12: 341–344, 1981

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schoenberger JA, Testa M, Ross AD, Brennan WK, Bannon JA. Efficacy, safety, and quality-of-life assessment of captopril antihypertensive therapy in clinical practice. Archives of Internal Medicine 150: 301–306, 1990

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Semmens JP, Semmens FJ. Inadequate vaginal lubrication. Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality 12: 58–71, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith PJ, Talbert RL. Sexual dysfunction with antihypertensives and antipsychotic agents. Clinical Pharmacy 5: 373–384, 1986

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spark RF, Melby JC. Aldosteronism in hypertension. Annals of Internal Medicine 69: 685–691, 1968

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson JG, Umstead GS. Sexual dysfunction due to antihypertensive agents. Drug Intelligence and Clinical Pharmacy 18: 113–121, 1984

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wartman SA. Sexual side effects of antihypertensive drugs: treatment strategies and strictures. Postgraduate Medicine 73: 133–138, 1983

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wassertheil-Smoller S, Blanfox MD, Oberman A, Davis BR, Swencionis C, et al. Effect of antihypertensives on sexual function and quality of life: the TAIM Study. Annals of Internal Medicine 114: 613–620, 1991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wein AJ, Van Arsdalen KN. Drug-induced male sexual dysfunction. Urologic Clinics of North America 15: 23–31, 1988

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weinberger MH. Lowering blood pressure in patients without affecting quality of life. American Journal of Medicine 86 (Suppl. 1B): 94–97, 1989

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Duncan, L., Bateman, D.N. Sexual Function in Women. Drug-Safety 8, 225–234 (1993). https://doi.org/10.2165/00002018-199308030-00004

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00002018-199308030-00004

Keywords

Navigation