PurposeThis study aimed to assess whether obesity can affect female sexuality. Patients and methods A case-control study was carried out on a sample of Egyptian women using a selffilled questionnaire. A group of 60 obese women (BMIo30 kg/cm 2 ) and a matching group of 30 nonobese women (controls) participated in this study. They answered a questionnaire that included 20 questions covering four domains (demographic data, assessment of female sexual function, weight image variables, and verbal or physical abuse by husbands). All women were free from diseases known to affect sexual function. Results Nonsignificant differences were found between obese and nonobese women in terms of arousal, ability to reach orgasm, and occurrence of unprovoked desire to have sex. The most preferred coital positions were rear entry in the obese group and man on top in the lean group. The practice of oral and anal sex was uncommon for both groups. Satisfaction with sexual life was significantly higher in the nonobese group. There was a statistical correlation between weight loss and improvement in libido. Three quarters of obese women reported being verbally abused by their husbands because of their body shape. ConclusionThere is a tendency for obese women to be inferior to their lean counterparts in many aspects of sexual functioning. Weight loss seems to be useful in boosting libido in obese women.Obesity is increasing in prevalence at a rapid rate worldwide. The WHO formerly recognized an obesity epidemic in 1997 [1]. A fact sheet issued by the WHO in 2013 indicates that, worldwide, obesity has almost doubled since 1980 and that in 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults, 20 years and older, were overweight (BMIZ25 kg/m 2 ). Of these, over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese (BMIZ30 kg/m 2 ) [2].Although few developing countries have nationally representative longitudinal data to assess trends, global estimates using both longitudinal and cross-sectional data indicate that the prevalence of obesity in countries in intermediate development has increased from 30 to 100% over the past decade [3].Obesity among adults, particularly women, has reached very high proportions in Egypt. According to the WHO, 46% of adult women in Egypt are obese [4].Obesity has been reported to be among the factors that adversely affect the sexual health of men and cause erectile dysfunction. For instance, the 9-year follow-up Massachusetts Male Aging Study [5] and the 25-year follow-up Rancho Bernardo Study [6] reported that body weight was an independent risk factor for erectile dysfunction, with a risk exceeding 90% of controls. However, the effects of obesity on female sexuality have not been clearly defined [7].There is considerable research on obesity and on sexuality as separate issues. The lack of research by sexologists or by obesity experts on the interrelation of the two subjects appears to indicate that researchers do not believe that sexuality and obesity can coexist [8].The present study was carried out to examine the effect of ob...

Sexual myths are beliefs about sexual subjects, which are often exaggerated, wrong and non-scientific but thought to be true. These wrong beliefs and concepts affect individual's attitudes and behaviors about sexuality. Sexual myths may cause consequences, which may affect sexual and consequently general public health; some of these sexual beliefs were investigated. A total of 822 women participants (432 medical women and 390 non-medical women not suffering from diseases that impair sexuality and not illiterate) answered a self-report questionnaire. Findings showed that, participants had high numbers of wrong beliefs. In addition, we found some sexual myths among medical women. The rural resident women had more misconceptions than the urban women did, while education affect the presence of the sexual myths between women as higher education obtained, fewer myths to be found.