Weight not linked to sexual behaviour

A high body mass index (BMI), indicating overweight or obesity, does not appear to play a significant role in women's sexual activity. To characterise the relationship between body mass index and sexual behaviour, including sexual orientation, age at first intercourse, number of partners, and frequency of intercourse, researchers from America surveyed 6,690 women aged between 15 and 45 years about their reproductive health. Sexual behavior was compared between body mass index groups - normal (less than 25), overweight (25–30), and obese (greater than 30) - using self-reported height and weight. The researchers also interviewed the participants about their frequency and interest in sex. Overall, 54 percent of the women were of normal weight, 25 percent were overweight and 21 percent were obese. A higher proportion of normal-weight women reported never having borne a child and a higher proportion of overweight and obese women reported having three or more children. No significant differences were found among the weight groups in sexual orientation, frequency of sexual intercourse, the number of current partners, age at first intercourse, the number of lifetime male partners, or the number of male partners in the previous year. It was noted that obese and overweight women, compared with normal-weight women, were more likely to report a history of intercourse with a male, even though they did not report an early initiation of intercourse. The above findings indicate that obese and overweight women are just as sexually active as normal-weight women and need to be counseled similarly about their risks of unintended pregnancy and infection. More studies are expected to further look into the association between BMI and women's sexual behaviour.

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