Female Sexual Quotient in Patients After Breast Augmentation

Background: Some women consider themselves less attractive or feminine because of the lack of “ideal” size and shape of their breast. At the last year, 307.000 breast augmentation surgeries were performed in the USA. The development of self may also have an affect on the level of an individual’s perceived sense of sexuality ⁽¹⁾. Poor sexual health can have an enormous impact on sexual attractiveness and responsiveness. Breast augmentation is related to improve body image, self-esteem and quality of life ⁽²⁾. The female sex quotient questionnaire (FSQ) is validated as an evaluation tool of sexuality ⁽³⁾, and can be used to evaluate the impact of various treatments on the sexual health of patients. The questionnaire consists of 10 questions with five option and each option corresponds to a score 0-5. Four domains of sexuality are assessed: sexual desire (D1), arousal (D2), vaginal atrophy (D3) and sexual satisfaction (D4).

Methods: 47 patients interested in breast enlargement were consecutively selected, assessed and answered the FSQ questionnaire pre-operatively and post-operatively at 2, 4 and 18 months. To evaluate the evolution of FSQ over time, nonparametric tests were used: Friedman and Mann-Whitney.

Results: 45 patients were considered for the study as; two patients missed follow-up. The average age was 26 years, and the median, 25. Nine patients developed striae distensae (SD) on breasts postoperatively (2- 4 months) and were treated satisfactorily between 4 and 12 months postoperatively ⁽⁴⁾. The participants were divided into two groups: patients with (n=9) or without (n=36) SD. The total score of FSQ (p = 0.001), D2 score (p <0.001) and D4 score (p = 0.001) showed a significant statistically different increase between the preoperative and postoperative values at 4 and 18 months, when compared, in patients with and without SD. A similar increase was only observed in the group without SD in total score of the FSQ over time (p <0.001). 

Conclusions: FSQ significantly increased in patients who underwent breast augmentation after 4 and 18 months. The excitement phase (D2) and sexual satisfaction (D4) demonstrated an increase corresponding to the total score. Patients with SD do not follow the pattern of increase of female sexual quotient over time. Breast augmentation can be related to an increase in sexuality.