Yes it is harsh. Those who have had success on the drug or who hope for it tend to attack and ridicule finasteride victims so they can can continue to live their dream of keeping hair. Some people don't understand that just because they haven't had sides doesn't mean others don't or won't.
I read the Bald Truth blog, as well as the Rassman hair loss blog, before taking finasteride, which both convinced me that finasteride was perfectly safe, despite what I had seen on propeciahelp. In fact Rassman has a blog up that talks about how he prescribes this crap to his own grown-up children!
So I cautiously took the drug, saw sides, and quit after 2 weeks. 2 months after quitting, I am still suffering greatly from side effects which haven't abated at all. It is ruining my life.
One thing I would like to stress is that the permanent/persisting sides are NOT limited to sexual sides. Among the non-sexual sides I have had since taking and discontinuing the drug that have NOT resolved are: Crippling insomnia(frequent awakenings, no REM sleep), constant muscle twitching, frequent urination(I'm talking urinating every 30 minutes, with a constant urge to go 24/7), extreme difficulty urinating/weak stream, and constipation. This stuff can really F up your health. I feel like an 80 year old man dealing with this crap, and I'm only 28.
For me, the non-sexual stuff has been far worse than the sexual sides I've had(shrunken, narrowed penis/no libido/yellow semen/ED). Yes the odds that this will happen to you are probably small, but it's NOT worth the risk just for hair. Just my 2 cents.