Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: Both overweight and obesity have been identified as risk factors for sexual dysfunction in men, but the relationship between female sexual function and amount of body fat is still obscure. To the best of our knowledge there are few reported studies assessing the relation between female sexual function index (FSFI) and body weight in women. Therefore, the aims of this study were to identify the frequency of sexual dysfunction (FSD) among obese women.

Methods: A total of 45 obese women and 30 age matched voluntary healthy women who served as the as control group were evaluated with a detailed medical and sexual history, including a FSFI questionnaire. Serum prolactin, cortisol, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), free thyroxin and thyrotropin were measured. These variables were compared statistically between the 2 groups.

Results: Mean ages, FSH, LH, E2, TSH, testesterone, DHEAS, prgesterone between controls and patients did not show statistical difference. The SHBG levels in our patients were significantly lower than our control population (P=0.00). The comparison for total FSFI scores between patients and controls showed no statistical difference (P=0.39). Since a score of 23 or lower indicated FSD; % 60 of obese patients and % 50 of controls had sexual dysfunction. The mean total FSFI score for obese patients was 22.1±4.3 but the mean total FSFI score for healthy women was 23.1±3.7. FSFI scores were not correlated with any of the antropometric measurements (BMI, WHR, %fat). In the correlation analysis of total FSFI scores and androgen hormones, the levels of total testosterone, DHEA-S showed no correlation with total FSFI scores. There were no correlation between FSFI scores and FBG, insülin, estradiol, FSH, LH, PRL, TSH, cortisol, IGF-1, SHBG levels also. We found a significant negative correlation between BMI and orgasm (P=0.007 r=−0.413). Satisfaction was also negatively correlated with BMI (P=0.05 r=−0.305) and weight (P=0.03 r=−0.326). Tetesterone levels were negatively correlated only with satisfaction among all FSFI scores (P=0.01 r=−0.385).

Conclusion: In this study we found that % 60 of obese patients and % 50 of controls had FSD. Although obesity does not seem to be a major contribute to sexual dysfunction, it affects several aspects of sexuality (satisfaction, orgasm). As there are not enough studies investigating female sexual function in obesity, further studies with larger number of patients are necessary.