DOI: 10.3390/medicina62112105 ISSN: 1648-9144

Changes in Sexual Function and Sexual Quality of Life During GLP-1–Based Therapy in Premenopausal Women with Obesity

Hazel Demiröz Öztürk, Yusuf Öztürk

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate short-term changes in sexual function, sexual satisfaction, sexual quality of life, and depressive symptoms during GLP-1-based therapy in premenopausal women with obesity and to investigate whether changes in sexual quality of life were associated with weight loss and changes in depressive symptoms. Materials and Methods: This single-center retrospective observational study included 50 premenopausal women receiving semaglutide, tirzepatide, or liraglutide for obesity. Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX), Golombok–Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS), Sexual Quality of Life—Female (SQoL-F), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores were assessed at baseline and at months 1 and 3. Associations of changes in sexual quality of life with age, baseline BMI, percentage weight loss (%WL), and changes in depressive symptoms were examined. Results: At 3 months, body weight decreased significantly from 103.35 to 95.30 kg (p < 0.001), while SQoL-F scores increased from 70.0 to 83.33 (p < 0.001) and BDI scores decreased from 13.0 to 8.0 (p = 0.001). No significant changes were observed in ASEX (p = 0.128) or GRISS (p = 0.084) scores. The magnitude of improvement in SQoL-F was not significantly associated with %WL (ρ = 0.080; p = 0.580) or changes in BDI scores (ρ = 0.249; p = 0.081). Exploratory analyses showed no significant between-treatment differences in changes in psychosexual outcomes. Conclusions: During 3 months of GLP-1-based therapy in premenopausal women with obesity, sexual quality of life and depressive symptoms improved, whereas no significant changes were observed in sexual function or sexual satisfaction. Given the observational design, absence of a control group, and concurrent lifestyle interventions, these improvements cannot be attributed specifically to GLP-1-based therapy. Controlled prospective studies with longer follow-up are warranted.

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