This sheet talks about the risks that exposure to finasteride can have during pregnancy. With each pregnancy, all
women have a 3% to 5% chance of having a baby with a birth defect. This information should not take the place
of medical care and advice from your health care provider.

What is finasteride?
Finasteride is a medication used for the
treatment and prevention of male pattern
baldness. It inhibits a chemical in the body
called 5-alpha-reductase. Finasteride has also
been approved for treatment of benign prostatic
hyperplasia. Finasteride is not approved at this
time for use in women. Finasteride is marketed
under the brand names Propecia
and Proscar.

My partner is taking finasteride but is

wondering if he should stop before I become

pregnant. Is this necessary and if so, how long

does it stay in the body?
The benefits of taking the medication
and any possible adverse outcomes from not
taking it should be taken into account and
discussed with his healthcare provider before
deciding to stop treatment. There is no known
reason for him to stop taking this medication
while planning a family. If he does decide to
stop using finasteride, it takes on average two
days for most of the drug to be eliminated from
the body after the last dose.

If my partner decides to continue taking

finasteride, will it be more difficult for me to

become pregnant?
There is no evidence to say that if your
partner is taking this medication it will make it
more difficult for you to become pregnant.
Animal studies suggest a temporary decrease in
male fertility, however no adverse effect has
been found in semen in humans. There are no
reports linking this medication to human
infertility or an inability to become pregnant.

Is there an increased risk for birth defects if

the baby’s father is taking finasteride when I

become pregnant?
Studies
in animals
found that
pregnancies sired by male rats that were given
large doses of finasteride did not result in
babies born with birth defects. There are no
such studies in humans at this time.

Should my partner stop taking finasteride

while I am pregnant?
There is a theoretical, although highly
unlikely, risk for birth defects of a male fetus’s
sex organs if the couple has intercourse during
the stage of pregnancy when the sex organs are
developing (8 to 15 weeks of gestation).
However, the amount of the drug found in the
semen is very small and is not felt to be enough
to harm a male baby.

If my partner stops using finasteride will there

be side effects?
Finasteride must be used daily for three
months, on average, before results can be seen.
Continued use is recommended to sustain this
benefit. There is no lasting benefit if treatment
is stopped, and there will be a reversal of any
benefits within twelve months of stopping
treatment.
If I touch or handle finasteride tablets during
pregnancy does the baby have an increased
risk for birth defects?
Animal studies have shown that
pregnant monkeys who were given large doses
of finasteride orally had male offspring with
abnormalities of the sex organs. There are no
human studies. Based on this information,
women are told not to handle tablets that are
crushed or broken during pregnancy. However,
it is highly unlikely that enough of the
medication would be absorbed through
unbroken skin during the course of normal
handling to be a problem.

Can I take finasteride while breastfeeding?
This medication has not been approved
for use by women. Even if a woman does
decide to use finasteride and breastfeed, there
are no studies to show if it is excreted in breast
milk.

Where can i buy propecia online ? 

You can buy Propecia at our online pharmacy.