Healthy 26-year-old had penis numbness, orgasm problems from popular drug — even a year and a half after he stopped taking it

Nypost · May 26, 2026 · 556 words · By Rachel Sacks

Medical Safety Drug Side Effects Pharmaceutical Industry Criticism

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What to know about Medical Safety

Healthy 26-year-old had penis numbness, orgasm problems from popular drug — even a year and a half after he stopped taking it See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Healthy 26-year-old had penis numbness, orgasm problems from popular drug — even a year and a half after he stopped taking it See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleNot all medications are medical marvels — some may do more harm than good.

Common ground

A 26-year-old man reported sexual side effects like orgasm troubles after taking a hair loss drug popular among millions of men, according to a new case study.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear, Hasty Generalization: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Medical Safety story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The new case study, published in the Journal of Psychosexual Health, shared that the unidentified man had been taking a 1-milligram dose of finasteride to treat his hair loss?
How does this story connect Medical Safety with Drug Side Effects over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/26/health/26-year-old-had-penis-numbness-orgasm-issue…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 70% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Hasty Generalization 60% confidence

Drawing broad conclusions from a small or unrepresentative sample.

Why it matters: Recognizing hasty generalization helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 5

verified Verified By Reference 3

verified Verified 2

info Single Source 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

check_circle Corroborated 1

verified

Claim 1: “The new case study, published in the Journal of Psychosexual Health, shared that the unidentified man had been taking a 1-milligram dose of finasteride to treat his hair loss.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results (Alaska Court System, CASE Construction, etc.) and does not mention the Journal of Psychosexual Health or the specific 1mg dose case study.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Anal eroticism, in psychoanalysis, is sensuous pleasure derived from anal sensations. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, hypothesized that the anal stage of childhood psychosexual developme…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_eroticism

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to inconsistency between their gender identity—their personal sense of their own gender—and their sex assigned at birth. The term replace…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_dysphoria

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — MV.Health is a British-American medical device company specialising in vibratory devices for sexual health and pelvic therapy. The company promotes its products as doctor-design and clinically validat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV.Health

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “None of the 17 men the WSJ spoke to believe they were adequately informed of the potential pitfalls, as telehealth service providers aren’t obligated to disclose side effects and other risks in their advertising.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 3: “there are potential side effects like erectile dysfunction, reduced sperm count and depression.”

VERIFIED

Multiple sources, including Wimpole Clinic and other medical reports, list erectile dysfunction, reduced libido/sperm count, and depression as potential side effects of finasteride.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Post-Finasteride syndrome is characterised by side effects including erectile dysfunction, low libido, depression and anxiety which linger after they stop taking the medication.
https://wimpoleclinic.com/blog/is-finasteride-safe/

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web search NEUTRAL — Finasteride, a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, widely used in the medical management of male pattern hairloss, has been reported to cause sexual side effects. This article critically examines the evidenc…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3481923/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Finasteride Side Effects. Finasteride should not be used or handled by a woman who is pregnant or who may become pregnant.Reported side effects in men include decreased libido (sex drive), erectile dy…
https://ishrs.org/patients/treatments-for-hair-loss/medicati…

verified

Claim 4: “Finasteride is a prescription medication that addresses benign prostatic hyperplasia and male hair loss.”

VERIFIED

Multiple authoritative sources, including Mayo Clinic and NCBI StatPearls, confirm finasteride is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male pattern hair loss.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jan 31, 2026 ... Finasteride is used to treat men who have symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male pattern hair loss, also called androgenetic alopecia.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/finasteride-ora…

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web search NEUTRAL — Finasteride. Find out how finasteride treats benign prostate enlargement and hair loss in men, and how to take it. About finasteride · Who can and cannot ...
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/finasteride/

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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 28, 2024 ... ... benign prostate hyperplasia and androgenic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) in men ... Finasteride 5 mg was first used in 1992 to treat benign ...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513329/

verified

Claim 5: “Even after discontinuing it, his symptoms persisted for a year and a half.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While general evidence discusses sexual side effects of finasteride and the concept of post-finasteride syndrome, no specific evidence was found to confirm that the 26-year-old man in the case study experienced symptoms for exactly 18 months after stopping.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Eighteen or 18 may refer to: 18 (number) One of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 18 (eighteen) is the natural number following 17 and preceding 19. It is an even composite number.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18_(number)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — iOS 18 is the eighteenth major release of Apple's iOS operating system for the iPhone. It was announced on June 10, 2024, at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and made publicly availabl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS_18

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “The FDA issued an alert last year about the potential risks associated with compounded topical finasteride.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 7: “It is one of only two treatments approved by the FDA for male pattern baldness.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (Hims, Keeps.com) state that finasteride and minoxidil are the only two FDA-approved treatments for male pattern baldness.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Currently, only two hair loss medications are FDA-approved for male pattern baldness: minoxidil and finasteride. Studies have shown that men who take 1 milligram (mg) of finasteride for male pattern h…
https://www.hims.com/blog/what-happens-if-you-stop-taking-fi…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Finasteride is one of only two FDA-approved treatments that’s proven to combat male pattern baldness—but it doesn’t work its magic overnight.
https://www.keeps.com/learn/how-long-before-finasteride-star…

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web search NEUTRAL — One of the biggest differences between dutasteride and finasteride is that only finasteride is FDA approved to treat male pattern baldness. However, dutasteride may be prescribed off-label for this pu…
https://plushcare.com/blog/dutasteride-vs-finasteride/

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Claim 8: “Former US Army Sgt. Mark Millich said he experienced anxiety, dizziness and slurred speech before his sex drive plummeted and his genitals shrank.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 9: “The FDA warning followed a Wall Street Journal report detailing the severe side effects men reported after acquiring finasteride through telehealth platforms.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 10: “He stopped the medication after six months due to side effects such as reduced ejaculation, significant loss of sexual pleasure and genital hypesthesia, or a loss of sensation in the penis.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence discusses general sexual dysfunction and 'genital anaesthesia' in the context of SSRIs and finasteride, but does not confirm the specific details (6 months use, specific symptoms) for the man in the case study.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — We report on 300 cases of enduring sexual dysfunction from 37 countries following 14 different drugs comprised of serotonin reuptake inhibiting antidepressants.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3233/JRS-180744

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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 23, 2019 · Genital anaesthesia, loss of libido and sexual dysfunction are features of this syndrome. Initial finasteride treatment can produce some ...Missing: hypesthesia. | Show results with:hyp…
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-psy…

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web search NEUTRAL — Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) is a condition in which sexual function does not return to normal after the use of SSRIs and related antidepressants.
https://rxisk.org/post-ssri-sexual-dysfunction-pssd/

info

Claim 11: “A 26-year-old man reported sexual side effects like orgasm troubles after taking a hair loss drug popular among millions of men, according to a new case study.”

SINGLE SOURCE

One web search result explicitly matches the claim about a 26-year-old man reporting orgasm troubles from a hair loss drug. However, there are no other independent sources corroborating this specific case study to meet the 'corroborated' threshold.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The index case or patient zero is the first documented patient in a disease epidemic within a population, or the first documented patient included in an epidemiological study. It can also refer to th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_case

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Livestreamed suicide is an internet phenomenon that occurs when a person deliberately broadcasts their suicide through a live stream via online platforms such as social media or video hosting sites in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livestreamed_suicide

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In April 2026, an outbreak of hantavirus infection caused by the Andes virus was identified on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius. There were ten confirmed cases and two suspected cases directly linked …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Hondius_hantavirus_outbreak

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 12: “He finally sought medical attention when his symptoms persisted for 19 months after quitting the drug.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

No evidence was found to confirm that the specific individual in the case study sought medical attention after exactly 19 months.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nineteen or 19 may refer to: 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Starting in January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Station 19 is an American action and procedural drama television series created by Stacy McKee that premiered on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on March 22, 2018. It is the second spin-off of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_19

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 13: “The only FDA-approved versions of the medication are oral tablets sold under the brand names Proscar and Propecia.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results regarding the specific brand names Proscar and Propecia or their status as the only FDA-approved oral versions.

schedule

Claim 14: “Another man detailed a nine-month struggle with PFS, noting the ups and downs in his libido and a sharp, burning pain in his pelvic area.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 15: “post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) is when severe sexual, neuropsychiatric or physical side effects continue indefinitely even after the medication is stopped.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results to define or confirm the specific definition of Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS) as described in the claim.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.