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Updated: May 23, 2026

Anogenital Distance and Perineal Measurements of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) Quantification System
Published on: September 20, 2018
Association between obesity, sexual activity and sexual function in women with pelvic floor disorders
Katy K Tsai1, Felisha Marques, Deborah L Myers
1From the *Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and †Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI.
Objectives:
: The objective of this study was to determine the association between obesity, sexual activity and sexual function in women with pelvic floor disorders (PFDs).
Methods:
: A retrospective study of women seeking care for PFDs was conducted between May 2008 and May 2009. Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m. Outcomes included sexual activity and sexual function measured using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire-12 (PISQ-12). Multivariable regression was used to estimate the association between obesity and sexual inactivity and function.
Results:
: There were 161 (45.5%) non-obese and 193 (54.5%) obese women, with a subset of 214 sexually active women. Obesity was not associated with sexual inactivity, but was associated with worse PISQ-12 scores compared with non-obese women (mean score 36.9 ± 38 versus 74.8 ± 34, P < 0.001). On multivariable linear regression, obese women had a mean score of 30 points lower (95% confidence interval -40.6 to -20.2, P < 0.001) on the PISQ-12 compared with non-obese women.
Conclusions:
: Obesity is associated with worse sexual function in women with PFDs.
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