New research confirms that a significant percentage of antidepressant users develop severe sexual dysfunction that is physiologically damaging and may persist for years after the drugs are stopped.
By CCHR International
Mental Health Industry Watchdog
January 9, 2026
There is an urgent need for a federal investigation into the clinical trials and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory decisions that led to the approval and continued marketing of antidepressants due to long-standing evidence of devastating and enduring side effects that patients were never adequately warned about, including sexual dysfunction and emotional numbing.
More than 45 million Americans take antidepressants annually. Approximately 1.6 million are adolescents aged 13–17, with nearly 580,000 children younger than 13 prescribed these drugs. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11.4% of Americans 18 years and older were taking antidepressants in 2023, with use rising among adolescents and young adults.[1]
Yet antidepressants have long been associated with suicidality, violence, psychosis, cardiac arrhythmias, and serotonin syndrome (marked by muscle rigidity, high fever, seizures, irregular heartbeat, and organ failure). Critically, there is a high risk of drug-induced sexual dysfunction, including post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD), a condition increasingly recognized as neurological injury, not a psychological complaint.
Psychiatrist Dr. Josef Witt-Doering, former Food and Drug Administrator (FDA) Medical Officer, Global Pharmacovigilance Medical Director, has stated that SSRI and SNRI antidepressants can leave people “essentially lobotomized,” causing cognitive impairment alongside profound sexual dysfunction. He warns that many experience emotional numbing, loss of sexual sensation, and detachment from pleasure, effects that can persist indefinitely.[2]
Recent preliminary findings from a study confirm that antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction involves lasting structural and neurological damage. A 15-year retrospective chart review presented at the 26th Annual Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America examined 43 young men (average age 27.6) diagnosed with PSSD. None had sexual dysfunction prior to antidepressant exposure, and patients with other known medical causes were excluded. The findings were stark: 89% showed abnormal sensory nerve testing (vibration, heat, cold), indicating sensory nerve dysfunction; symptoms persisted six months or longer after discontinuation.[3]
These directly refute the long-repeated claim that antidepressant sexual side effects are temporary and reversible.
Dr. Witt-Doering states, “Once PSSD symptoms begin they can last for years and may even be permanent in some people.… Despite the public recognition of this condition by major government health authorities, the condition is still underrecognized by the medical community.”[4] He further reports patients questioning their sexual orientation—not because attraction changed, but because sexual sensation and arousal disappeared entirely, a particularly devastating outcome for adolescents placed on antidepressants during sexual development. He stated: “You’re essentially castrating people. But it’s worse than that because … it causes cognitive damage as well… People will talk about being completely dissociated from their emotions…” and experience sexual dysfunction.[5]
For decades, drug regulatory agencies knew of this damage but failed to act. As early as 1991, researchers identified serotonin reuptake inhibitors as reducing genital sensation.[6] In 2000, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Glenmullen warned in Prozac Backlash that SSRIs caused sexual dysfunction in up to 60% of users. He further cautioned that it could cause a “chemical lobotomy” by “destroying the nerve endings in the brain.”[7]
When European authorities later approved the pediatric use of fluoxetine (Prozac), regulators already knew the drug could interfere with sexual development. Internal documents revealed that the antidepressant’s manufacturer, Eli Lilly, and European authorities, including the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board, were aware that Lilly’s own studies on juvenile rats exposed to fluoxetine showed delayed sexual maturation, degeneration of testicular tissue, and hormonal disruption. A 2005 assessment by the Dutch agency warned that these effects appeared “non-reversible” and occurred at doses close to those used in humans. “The adverse effects are severe and appear with no or low safety margins,” Dutch assessors wrote, adding that reproductive performance was impaired at higher doses.
The agency called for further research, which Lilly agreed to undertake—in writing—but ultimately failed to deliver. Outside of France, no other European country sought clarification, and the warnings never entered public view. The issue simply faded from scrutiny.
In 2006, Prozac was approved for pediatric use across Europe on the condition that Eli Lilly participate in long-term studies on sexual maturation using European registries. Within a few years, however, the study was abandoned due to a lack of funding.
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) accepted this outcome, advising that “only limited evidence is available concerning long-term effects on growth and sexual maturation.”
As Swedish journalist Janne Larsson, who uncovered much of this documentation, observed at the time: “Abracadabra—the requirement was conjured away.”[8]
In 2011, the FDA formally acknowledged that sexual dysfunction from fluoxetine (only) may persist after discontinuation, amending product labeling to reflect this risk.[9] The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) later echoed the warning, stating that SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction can continue after the drug is stopped.[10]
Yet no boxed warning was required.
In 2018, 22 international experts, with psychopharmacologist Dr. David Healy listed as the corresponding author, petitioned the FDA to mandate prominent warnings for all SSRIs and SNRIs. The petition cited extensive evidence that nearly everyone taking these drugs experiences reduced genital sensitivity, sometimes within 30 minutes of the first dose, with effects that may last for years or indefinitely after drug discontinuation.[11]
The FDA failed to act.
In May 2024, this prompted Public Citizen to sue the FDA over its failure to warn of the drugs’ risk of serious sexual damage. Public Citizen represented Dr. Antonei B. Csoka, one of the scientists who submitted the above citizen petition. Dr. Csoka has been researching Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) since 2004. “Without adequate warnings about the risk of potentially permanent damage to sexual function, patients and health care professionals cannot weigh the benefits of the drugs’ use against the potential harms,” explains the petition.
After receipt of similar petitions in 2018, the drug regulatory agencies in Europe and Canada warned patients and health care professionals of the risk that sexual side effects may persist after stopping SSRIs or SNRIs. In 2019, the European Medicines Agency adopted product information updates to warn that SSRIs and SNRIs may cause long-lasting sexual dysfunction that may continue despite discontinuation of treatment. In 2021, Health Canada completed a safety review and also announced updates to the labeling and product safety information to reflect the risk.[12]
The case was eventually dismissed, astoundingly because of the difficulty of holding federal agencies accountable. Attorney Michael Kirkpatrick, who led the case, stated, “The FDA needs to act in a timely way to inform the public about the risks associated with these drugs. The potential for life-long harm is too serious to ignore.”[13]
The FDA’s regulatory inaction is particularly troubling given that approximately 45% of the FDA’s budget, or $2.7 billion, was funded by industry user fees. For regulatory activities involving human drugs (which account for a third of the agency’s total budget), 65%, or about $656 million, is funded by industry user fees.[14] Conflict of interest critics say this undermines patient protection.
Multiple studies confirm the scale of harm.
A 2022 Psychology Today review found sexual dysfunction in 40–65% of antidepressant users. “Men had a higher frequency of sexual dysfunction (62.4%) than women (56.9%), following antidepressant discontinuation, although women had higher severity.” Overall, close to four in ten described their symptoms after SSRI treatment as intolerable.[15]
A 2023 Annals of General Psychiatry study stated that PSSD is a “well-documented side effect” that can persist indefinitely.[16]
Children, Pregnancy, and Lifelong Consequences
The risks extend beyond adults. An estimated 9–10% of pregnant women in the U.S. take antidepressants, often without informed consent regarding fetal harm.[17] Studies link prenatal SSRI exposure to altered sensory processing, disrupted neurodevelopment, and increased risks of autism spectrum disorder, cardiac defects, and cleft palate.[18]
CCHR’s Freedom of Information Act investigations across 32 states revealed that 920,411 children aged 0–17 were drugged with antidepressants under Medicaid in 2023 alone, including 25,000 were aged five or younger.
In December, an Expert Working Group advising the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency concluded that patient information must more clearly communicate the risks of suicidal behavior and persistent sexual dysfunction associated with 28 antidepressants.[19]
CCHR asks why these drugs remain on the market without the strongest possible warnings. The answer, it says, lies in misleading marketing, adverse effects being misattributed to “mental illness,” and global antidepressant sales exceeding $22 billion annually taking precedence over patient safety.[20]
Jan Eastgate, president of CCHR International, says: “From pre-birth to adulthood, millions are exposed to drugs capable of inducing emotional blunting, suicidality, and potentially permanent sexual injury without adequate warning, while sanctioned by the FDA and driven by the psychiatric-pharmaceutical industry. They must be held accountable.”
CCHR demands an independent investigation into FDA approval and labeling decisions and calls for proven damaging psychotropic drugs to be removed from the market. Reports of harm or abuse can be submitted through CCHR’s reporting system. CCHR urges individuals harmed by antidepressants to seek civil and criminal legal redress for failure to warn.
[1] Dr. Joseph Mercola, ”Why Antidepressants Aren’t Fixing Depression — and How the System Keeps That Truth Buried,” Mercola.com, 4 Jan. 2026, https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2026/01/04/ssri-side-effects-long-term.aspx; “Characteristics of Adults Age 18 and Older Who Took Prescription Medication for Depression: United States, 2023,” NCHS Data Brief No. 528, April 2025, Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db528.htm; Chua KP, et al., “Antidepressant Dispensing to US Adolescents and Young Adults: 2016-2022,” Pediatrics, 2024 Mar 1;153(3), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10904889/
[2] Dr. Joseph Mercola, “Why Antidepressants Aren’t Fixing Depression — and How the System Keeps That Truth Buried,” Mercola.com, 4 Jan. 2026, https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2026/01/04/ssri-side-effects-long-term.aspx
[3] A Goldstein, N Kim, et al., “Sexual Symptoms and Biologic Pathophysiologies of Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD): A 15-Year Review,” Journal of Sexual Medicine, 9 Dec. 2025, https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article/22/Supplement_4/qdaf320.309/8375231
[4] https://www.cchrint.org/2023/05/09/sexual-dysfunction-after-antidepressant-use/
[5] Dr. Joseph Mercola, “Why Antidepressants Aren’t Fixing Depression — and How the System Keeps That Truth Buried,” Mercola.com, 4 Jan. 2026, https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2026/01/04/ssri-side-effects-long-term.aspx
[6] David Healy, “Citizen petition: Sexual side effects of SSRIs and SNRIs,” Int J Risk Saf Med, 4 June 2018, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6004927/
[7] https://www.cchrint.org/cchrs-exposure-of-antidepressant-risks-false-marketing-of-the-chemical-imbalance-theory/; Joseph Glenmullen, M.D., Prozac Backlash, (Simon & Schuster, NY, 2000), p. 8
[8] Maryanne Demasi, Ph.D., “Prozac’s dark legacy: regulators ignored early warnings of sexual harm,” MD Reports, 20 Nov. 2025, https://blog.maryannedemasi.com/p/prozacs-dark-legacy-regulators-ignored
[9] U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Prozac (fluoxetine) Supplement Approval Letter, June 15, 2011, https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/appletter/2011/018936Orig1s096,021235Orig1s018ltr.pdf
[10] David Healy, “Citizen petition: Sexual side effects of SSRIs and SNRIs,” Int J Risk Saf Med, 4 June 2018, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6004927/
[11] David Healy, “Citizen petition: Sexual side effects of SSRIs and SNRIs,” Int J Risk Saf Med, 4 June 2018, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6004927/
[12] David Healy, “Citizen petition: Sexual side effects of SSRIs and SNRIs,” Int J Risk Saf Med, 4 June 2018, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6004927/; https://www.citizen.org/wp-content/uploads/Doc.-1-Complaint-5.20.2024.pdf; https://www.citizen.org/news/fda-sued-over-inaction-on-citizen-petition/
[13] https://publichealthpolicyjournal.com/case-dismissed-lawsuit-against-fda-over-ssri-warning-label-is-thrown-out/
[14] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/08/27/fact-check-some-fdas-budget-does-come-industry-funding/5572076001/
[15] https://www.cchrint.org/2023/05/09/sexual-dysfunction-after-antidepressant-use/; “Diagnosing Long-Term Sexual Dysfunction from SSRIs,” Psychology Today, 20 Jan. 2022, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/side-effects/202201/diagnosing-long-term-sexual-dysfunction-ssris
[16] https://www.cchrint.org/2023/05/09/sexual-dysfunction-after-antidepressant-use/; Ben-Sheetrit, J., Hermon, Y., Birkenfeld, S., et al., “Estimating the risk of irreversible post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) due to serotonergic antidepressants,” Annals of General Psychiatry, 22, 15 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12991-023-00447-0
[17] Dr. Joseph Mercola, ”Why Antidepressants Aren’t Fixing Depression — and How the System Keeps That Truth Buried,” Mercola.com, 4 Jan. 2026, https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2026/01/04/ssri-side-effects-long-term.aspx
[18] https://www.impactlaw.com/dangerous-drugs/zoloft/birth-defects/; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7814075/; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4006441/
[19] “Patient and family experiences inform antidepressant safety information review,” UK Government, 1 Dec. 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/patient-and-family-experiences-inform-antidepressant-safety-information-review
[20] https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/antidepressants-market
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