title: Contraception and sexual health in obese women.
abstract: As the proportion of women with obesity increases worldwide, understanding the influence of body weight on sexual behavior, fertility, and contraceptive effectiveness is critical for health-care professionals and patients. Although many have theorized that obese women are different from normal-weight women regarding sexual health and behavior, current evidence for the most part disproves this. The exception is in adolescents where body image may play a role in riskier behavior, placing them at a greater risk of an unintended pregnancy. Given that most modern contraceptives were not originally evaluated in obese women, understanding how weight affects contraceptive pharmacokinetics and efficacy should be a focus of ongoing research. Evidence is reassuring that most modern contraceptive methods are safe and effective in obese women. This paper reviews what is known about sexual and contraceptive behavior, as well as the effectiveness and pharmacokinetics of modern contraceptives, for overweight and obese women.
authors.affiliation: Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Mailcode UHN 50, Portland, OR 97239, USA. Electronic address: simmonka@ohsu.edu.
authors.forename: Katharine B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.affiliation: Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Mailcode UHN 50, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Alison B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Edelman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods*; D003270:Contraceptive Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D049168:Pregnancy, Unplanned; D060728:Reproductive Health; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior
chemical_list: D003270:Contraceptive Agents; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital
keywords: contraception; obesity; pharmacokinetics; sexual behavior