Sexual dysfunction in obese and overweight women

Abstract

Both overweight and obesity have been identified as risk factors for sexual dysfunction in men, but the relationship between sexual function and amount of body fat in females is still obscure. There are few reported studies in women assessing the relationship between female sexual function index (FSFI) and body weight. The aim of this study was to identify the frequency of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) among obese and overweight women. A total of 45 obese and overweight and 30 age-matched voluntary healthy women serving as a control group were evaluated by a detailed medical and sexual history, including the FSFI questionnaire. Serum prolactin, cortisol, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), dehydroepiandrosterone-SO 4 (DHEA-S), testosterone, estradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels were measured. No significant difference was observed between controls and patients in terms of the FSH, LH, estradiol, free thyroxine and thyrotropin (TSH), testosterone and DHEA-S levels. The comparison of total FSFI scores between patients and controls showed no significant difference (P ¼ 0.74). As the FSFI score of p26.55 indicated FSD, 86% of obese patients and 83% of controls were considered to have sexual dysfunction. The mean total FSFI score was 22.1±4.3 for obese patients and 23.1±3.7 for healthy women. FSFI scores were not correlated with any of the anthropometric measurements (body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and fat percent). The levels of total testosterone and DHEA-S were not correlated with total FSFI scores. We found a significant negative correlation between BMI and orgasm (P ¼ 0.007, r ¼ À0.413). Satisfaction was also negatively correlated with BMI (P ¼ 0.05, r ¼ À0.305) and weight (P ¼ 0.03, r ¼ À0.326). Testosterone levels were negatively correlated with only satisfaction domain scores of FSFI (P ¼ 0.01, r ¼ À0.385). We found that 86% of obese women and 83% of controls had sexual dysfunction. Although obesity does not seem to be a major contributor to sexual dysfunction, it affects several aspects of sexuality.

Risk factors associated with female sexual dysfunction among married women in Upper Egypt; a cross sectional study

“…[12][13][14] In consistence with our findings, previous studies suggested negative correlations between BMI and sexual functioning, however others did not. 5,[15][16][17] FSD attributed to obesity can be explained by the hormonal imbalance caused by insulin resistance, the atherosclerosis of the vasculature supplying the genitalia, in addition to the psychological incompetence caused by low self-esteem and lack of confidence due to imperfect body image. 2,18 Our results showed that number of pregnancies were associated with FSD which agreed with previous reports.…”

Evaluation of the effect of obesity on self-respect and sexuality in women

“…sorularına verilen yanıtlarda artan puanlar olumsuz etkilenme derecesini göstermektedir. 6 Gelişen sağlık sistemi ve sağlık bakım teknolojileriyle artan kronik hastalıkla yaşam süresi dikkate alındığında kadının cinsel yaşamı birçok kronik hastalıktan etkilenmektedir. 20 Esposito ve arkadaşları 150 diyabetli kadın hastayla yaptık-ları bir çalışmada, cinsel memnuniyetsizliği %53.4 oranında bulmuşlardır.…”

“…5 Bedende aşırı yağ depolanması olarak tanımlanmakta ve beden kitle indeksi (BKİ) 30kg/m 2 'nin üzerinde olan bireyler obez olarak kabul edilmektedir. 6 Obezite, tip 2 diyabet, kalp hastalığı, hipertansiyon ve bazı kanser türleri de dahil olmak üzere birçok hastalıkta önemli bir risk etkenidir. 7 Toplum sağlığı açısından da büyük sorun olan obezite, bazı araştırmacılar tarafından psikofizyolojik hastalık olarak da görülmektedir.…”

The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Sexual Dysfunction Among Women: A Meta-Analysis

“…Despite the fact that the sexual relationship is one of the essential human needs, impairment of sexual function occurs in some cases (1,2). The World Health Organization considers sexual dysfunction as the inability of an individual to participate in sexual relationship, as he/she would wish (3,4).…”