1. Dutasteride useful for the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); colloquially known as an "enlarged prostate".
2. In those who are being regularly screened 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor (finasteride and dutasteride) reduce the overall risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer however there is insufficient data to determine if they have an effect on the risk of death and may increase the chance of more serious cases.
3. This class of medications increases rates of erectile dysfunction (with between 5% and 9% developing problems after starting their use). This is linked to lower quality of life and can cause stress in relationships. There is also an association with lowered sexual desire. It has been reported that these adverse sexual side effects may persist even after discontinuation of the drug.