When S.S.R.I.s went on the market in the late 1980s, patients began telling their psychiatrists that they were having sexual problems. Initially, doctors were perplexed: As far as they knew, older antidepressants had never come with these issues. Men were much more likely to report sexual side effects to their doctors than women were, even though women are almost twice as likely to be prescribed antidepressants. For some people, the sexual side effects of S.S.R.I.s will show up almost immediately after starting the medications and then resolve. So doctors may suggest waiting four to six months to see whether the sexual effects subside.

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Persons: Don’t, S.S.R.I.s, ”, Jonathan Alpert, Tierney Lorenz Organizations: Psychiatric, University of Nebraska, Lincoln