Influence of bariatric surgery on sexual function and sex hormone levels in obese patients

Obesity brings for the patients a series of complications, such as diabetes, renal insufficiency, sexual function decline and so on. Obesity has been identified as a risk factor for male sexual dysfunction, some studies showed an decrease in testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) level in obese males but showed an increase in estradiol level. Research on the infulence of obesity on female sexual is relatively seldom, the understanding of the relationship between obesity and female sexual function is inconsistent. Recently, some studies have reported that bariatric surgery improved the sexual function of obese patients, and changed the sex hormone levels. But the change of obese patients′ sexual function and sex hormone after bariatric surgery, has not reached a consensus. Key words: Obesity; Bariatric surgery; Sexual function; Sex hormone