May 31st Newsletter
A summary of research, media coverage, community milestones, and global recognition in the fight for PSSD acknowledgment.
In late April 2026, the inaugural Enduring Sexual Dysfunction World Congress marked a landmark moment for the PSSD, Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS), and Post-Accutane communities. The event brought together leading researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates, including PSSD Network representative Daniel, to formally advance the science and establish this field at an international level.
Chaired by urologist Ken Peters, the congress signaled a meaningful shift: away from dismissive psychological explanations, toward the objective biological mechanisms that patients have long described.
- Dr. Antonei Csoka presented a mathematical model framing PSSD as a "trapped" biological state: a system unable to return to equilibrium without targeted intervention. This opens entirely new avenues for treatment research.
- Dr. Ashley Monks made collaborative contributions to the scientific program, further advancing the biological understanding of these conditions.
- The event set the foundation for ongoing international research collaboration and confirmed that the scientific community is beginning to engage at the highest levels.
At the Mental Health & Overmedicalization Summit, PSSD Network member Lauren delivered testimony that was raw, unflinching, and deeply personal. Speaking to a prominent panel, she described how antidepressants had permanently stripped away core elements of her humanity: her ability to feel emotion, to connect, to experience intimacy.
Lauren spoke not just to her own suffering, but to what it represents: a widespread, systemic failure of informed consent. Patients were never told these effects could be permanent. They were never told that emotional numbness and sexual dysfunction could last a lifetime after stopping the medication.
Lauren emphasized that these lifelong conditions are a crime against informed consent. Patients were given no warning that the effects could be permanent.
Her testimony resonated far beyond the room. Within days it had been shared by commentators with millions of followers, sparking a national conversation about psychiatric medication safety and patient rights.
A peer-reviewed long-term review of sexual symptoms and biological mechanisms behind PSSD, published in a leading urology journal. Longitudinal evidence that symptoms persist, along with a framework for understanding why.
Read Study
Dr. Irwin Goldstein joined Dr. Rena Malik to discuss physical changes observed in PSSD and PFS patients, including tissue damage and scarring detected through specialized ultrasound imaging.
Watch Video
The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency updated safety guidance for finasteride and dutasteride, acknowledging patient reports of persistent sexual dysfunction and long-term psychiatric side effects.
Read Safety Update
Lauren's testimony reached millions through shares from public figures and influencers.
The Matt Walsh Show
Popular commentator Matt Walsh dedicated a segment to PSSD, discussing long-term impacts and sharing a PSSD Network clip with his millions of followers.
Watch on X →This month, PSSD was acknowledged across medical journals, health platforms, and clinical resources worldwide, spanning forensic psychiatry, women's health, and pharmacy education.
Our main community hub on Reddit has officially crossed 20,000 registered members. This milestone speaks to the scale of this condition and the determination of those affected. 20,000 people self-reporting, uncompensated, and fully aware of the stigma cannot be dismissed as anecdote. This community represents only a fraction of those affected worldwide.
View the Milestone ThreadOur Q2 issue will go beyond the news. Alongside the usual research and media roundup, we will be publishing a full update on everything PSSD Network has been working on internally.
This includes completed research projects, progress updates on ongoing initiatives, previews of upcoming projects, and a wider look at the advocacy and outreach efforts taking place behind the scenes.