Bariatric surgery and female sexuality: is there an improvement in sexual function after weight loss?

Introduction:  Severe obesity is most effectively treated with bariatric surgery. The resulting weight loss is expected to improve obesity-related conditions, including sexual dysfunction.

Objective:  To evaluate the sexual function of morbidly obese women undergoing bariatric surgery using a questionnaire validated at three time points: preoperatively, six months and twelve months later.

Method:  A quantitative, descriptive and analytical cross-sectional, quasi-experimental study was carried out with a convenience sample of women over 18 years of age, with class III obesity, submitted to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The questionnaire adopted was the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), which evaluates six domains: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain. Scores above 26.55 translate satisfactory sexual function and lower scores define sexual dysfunction.

Results:  A total of 74 women were evaluated from 36.2 ± 8.3 years, BMI before surgery was 42.7 ± 4.0, after six months 31.8 ± 3.5 and after 12 months 30.0 ± 3.6. The mean total FSFI score obtained in the preoperative period was 20.7. After six months, 27.7 (p < 0.01), and after 12 months, 29.4 (increase of 42.0% compared to the preoperative period). Both in terms of the total score and the isolated domains of the FSFI, an association was observed between improved sexual function and reduced BMI.

Conclusion:  There was a significant improvement in sexual function as early as six months after surgery, as well as in the other domains alone.

KEYWORDS:
Sexual dysfunction; Morbid obesity; Bariatric surgery