Physical Wellness

Weight-Loss Surgery Improves Sex Lives, Study Says

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Nov 04, 2015 04:40 PM EST

Weight-loss surgery is not only beneficial for one's health, it can also be good for one's sex life.
According to a new study, headed by Dr. Kristine Steffen, sexual activity levels increased significantly after weight-loss surgery and the good news is that these levels did not fall in the long-term.

For this study the researchers tracked the outcomes of more than 2,000 patients, with about 80 percent of them being females, who had weight-loss surgery. The patients were asked about their sexual activity levels each year for up to five years post surgery.

Within the first year, the researchers found that the patients were more likely to report increased sexual desire and activity. They were also more likely to report improved sexual satisfaction. By the five-year point, the patients' satisfaction levels in regards to their sexual function remained pretty moderate.

Statistically speaking, 52 percent of women and 58 percent of men were satisfied with their sexual function. The rates for women and men prior to surgery were 31 percent and 28 percent, respectively. The rates of women and men who stated that they were more sexually active than before were 39 percent and 55 percent, respectively.

"Limited research has suggested that bariatric surgery is associated with short-term improvements in sexual function," Steffen said in a meeting news release. "This study shows these improvements are long-lasting."

The researchers noted that the increase in sexual activity could also be due to the fact that the patients experienced improvements in regards to their depressive symptoms after surgery.

The study's findings were presented at Obesity Week in Los Angeles. The meeting was hosted by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and The Obesity Society.

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