Changes in Sexual Functions of Female Patients After Bariatric Surgery: Relationship with Body Image, Depression, and Anxiety

Objectives: It is reported that sexual dysfunction is observed in female bariatric surgery (BS) candidates. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in female BS candidates and to compare the pre-BS and 6 months post-BS sexual functions. Methods: We assessed 31 female candidates for BS. All participants were administered the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics form, Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), Beck Depression Scale (BDS), Body Image Scale (BIS), and Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS) before BS and 6 months after BS. Results: The pre-BS female sexual dysfunction rate was 77.4%. Six months after BS, the ASEX total scores (p=0.005), BDS, BIS and BAS scores improved (p<0.001). No improvement was observed in the ASEX-3(lubrication) and ASEX-5 (satisfaction) scores (p>0.05). There is positive correlation between the ASEX scores and level of depression (r=+0.367, p<0.05), whereas there is negative correlation between the ASEX scores and the BIS scores (r=-0.597, p<0.01). Conclusion: Six months after BS, in addition to weight loss, depression and anxiety levels also decrease and improvement is observed in body image and sexual functions. Clinicians must also evaluate sexual functions before and after BS.