Effects of marital status and age on changes in sexual function in women with severe obesity after bariatric surgery

Abstract

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Sexual function, a crucial aspect of well-being, is often overlooked due to the discomfort many individuals feel when discussing such issues. While obesity impacts sexual function in both genders, women tend to experience greater difficulties in this regard. One of the most common approaches to evaluating sexual dysfunction involves self-report questionnaires. Among these, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) stands out as one of the most widely utilized. This 19-item questionnaire assesses various aspects of sexual function in women, covering six key domains: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Numerous studies have reported enhancements in female sexual function following post-bariatric surgery weight loss, but these changes are often not accompanied by significant alterations in FSFI scores. Evidence in literature is scarce and, in many cases, the sample sizes of the studies may have been too small to detect significant improvements across different FSFI domains.1

This study seeks to assess the effects of bariatric surgery on female sexual function, using the FSFI, in the largest cohort documented in the literature.