Bariatric Surgery may Improve Sex Drive for some Women

It might not come as much of a surprise that losing weight can make you more fit, sexier and healthier in general. Yet a recent study showed that women who underwent weight loss surgery saw great improvements in their sex drives.

In fact, researchers found that participants who underwent bariactric surgery experienced significant improvements in overall sexual function. They also  noted that most reproductive hormones and psychological status lasted for over a two year period.

"For many people, sex is an important part of quality of life. The massive weight losses typically seen following bariatric surgery are associated with significant improvements in quality of life," lead author David Sarwer, PhD, professor of Psychology in Psychiatry and Surgery in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a news release. "This is one of the first studies to show that women also experience improvements in their sexual functioning and satisfaction, as well as significant improvements in their reproductive hormones."

The study examined 106 women with an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 44.5 who underwent bariatric surgery. Researchers said that 85 of the women had gastric bypass and 21 had gastric banding procedures.

Findings showed that women lost an average of 32.7 percent of their original body weight after the first year and then 33.5 percent at the end of the second.

The results also showed that women who reported the lowest quality of sexual function before surgery saw the greatest improvements following the procedure regarding sexual function.

Other improvements were also noted in participant's lives, including general health as well as body image, emotional issues and relationship satisfaction.

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal JAMA Surgery.