TY - JOUR
T1 - Association between obesity and female sexual dysfunction
T2 - a review
AU - Saadedine, Mariam
AU - Faubion, Stephanie
AU - Grach, Stephanie L.
AU - Nordhues, Hannah C.
AU - Kapoor, Ekta
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society of Sexual Medicine. All rights reserved.
PY - 2024/4/1
Y1 - 2024/4/1
N2 - Introduction: Obesity is a global health crisis that has been growing over the past few decades. The economic burden associated with obesity is substantial as it is associated with multiple disabling chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, osteoarthritis, chronic pain, and mental illness. Obesity is known to be a risk factor for sexual dysfunction in men, but this association is less well understood in women. Aims: To provide a narrative review of the available literature on the relationship between overweight/obesity and female sexual dysfunction, elaborate on the possible mechanisms explaining this association, and discuss the effects of weight loss on sexual function in those with obesity. Methods: A search of the medical literature was carried out in PubMed and Medline, focusing on original research and systematic reviews of original research on obesity and sexual function in women. Results: The relationship between obesity and female sexual function is not consistent across studies. While women with obesity are more likely to have worse sexual function and avoid sexual activity, many studies have failed to identify these associations. Lifestyle changes resulting in weight loss lead to better sexual function, and bariatric surgery has been shown to improve sexual function in the first couple of years following the procedure; yet, the long-term effects of weight loss and bariatric surgery are still uncertain. Conclusions: The evidence on the relationship between obesity and female sexual function is mixed. Nevertheless, weight loss has been shown to improve sexual function in women with obesity. The impact of weight loss medications and the long-term effect of bariatric surgery on female sexual function require further study.
AB - Introduction: Obesity is a global health crisis that has been growing over the past few decades. The economic burden associated with obesity is substantial as it is associated with multiple disabling chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, osteoarthritis, chronic pain, and mental illness. Obesity is known to be a risk factor for sexual dysfunction in men, but this association is less well understood in women. Aims: To provide a narrative review of the available literature on the relationship between overweight/obesity and female sexual dysfunction, elaborate on the possible mechanisms explaining this association, and discuss the effects of weight loss on sexual function in those with obesity. Methods: A search of the medical literature was carried out in PubMed and Medline, focusing on original research and systematic reviews of original research on obesity and sexual function in women. Results: The relationship between obesity and female sexual function is not consistent across studies. While women with obesity are more likely to have worse sexual function and avoid sexual activity, many studies have failed to identify these associations. Lifestyle changes resulting in weight loss lead to better sexual function, and bariatric surgery has been shown to improve sexual function in the first couple of years following the procedure; yet, the long-term effects of weight loss and bariatric surgery are still uncertain. Conclusions: The evidence on the relationship between obesity and female sexual function is mixed. Nevertheless, weight loss has been shown to improve sexual function in women with obesity. The impact of weight loss medications and the long-term effect of bariatric surgery on female sexual function require further study.
KW - bariatric surgery
KW - female sexual dysfunction
KW - obesity
KW - overweight
KW - weight loss
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U2 - 10.1093/sxmrev/qead047
DO - 10.1093/sxmrev/qead047
M3 - Review article
C2 - 38112599
AN - SCOPUS:85186884843
SN - 2050-0521
VL - 12
SP - 154
EP - 163
JO - Sexual Medicine Reviews
JF - Sexual Medicine Reviews
IS - 2
ER -