Women who go under the knife for a boob job often find themselves as the butt of jokes, and criticism, but it seems that their extended bust size works like a booster shot as far as their self-esteem and feelings about their sexuality goes.

The findings are based on a new study by a nurse at the University of Florida.

Cynthia Figueroa-Haas, a clinical assistant professor at UF¡¯s College of Nursing who conducted the study, insists that it is important for health-care practitioners to understand the psychological benefits of procedures such as boob jobs.

¡°Many individuals, including health-care providers, have preconceived negative ideas about those who elect to have plastic surgery, without fully understanding the benefits that may occur from these procedures,¡± said Figueroa-Haas.

¡°This study provides the impetus for future studies related to self-esteem, human sexuality and cosmetic surgery,¡± she said.

As a part of her research, Figueroa-Haas studied 84 women between the ages of 21 to 57, and assessed their perceptions of self-esteem and sexuality before and after cosmetic breast augmentation.

Study participants had been previously scheduled for breast augmentation and were undergoing the procedure solely for cosmetic purposes. Eligible candidates were mailed a consent form, a demographic questionnaire and pre-tests asking them to rate their self-esteem and sexuality. They were then mailed a similar post-test two to three months after the surgery.

Figueroa-Haas found that improvements in the women¡¯s self-esteem and sexual satisfaction were directly correlated with having undergone breast augmentation.

She used two widely accepted scientific scales to measure self-esteem and sexuality, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Female Sexual Function Index, which assesses domains of sexual function, such as sexual arousal, satisfaction, experience and attitudes.

The participants¡¯ average self-esteem score increased from 20.7 to 24.9 on the 30-point Rosenberg scale, and their average female sexual function score increased from 27.2 to 31.4 on the 36-point index.

Of note, after the procedure, there were substantial increases in ratings of sexual desire (a 78.6 percent increase from initial scores), arousal (81 percent increase) and satisfaction (57 percent increase).

Figueroa-Haas did point out that a small number of participants showed no change in their levels of self-esteem or sexuality after surgery.

She noted that with a heightened interest in men¡¯s sexuality issues in recent years, the research sheds light on women¡¯s sexuality, and how plastic surgery can improve and enhance this important area of life.

¡°So much attention is directed to men¡¯s sexuality issues; we have all seen countless commercials on drugs and therapy devoted to improving men¡¯s sexuality. Unfortunately, very little is discussed regarding women¡¯s sexuality issues,¡± Figueroa-Haas said.

¡°I strongly believe that my research shows that interventions such as cosmetic plastic surgery can address these sorts of issues for some women. For example, those women who may have breast changes due to nursing or from the inevitable natural aging process. These women may not feel as attractive, which could ultimately negatively impact their levels of self-esteem and sexuality,¡± she added.

However, Figueroa-Haas warned that women should not view plastic surgery as a cure-all for any self-esteem and sexuality woes. In fact, she urges ethical plastic surgeons should screen for this type of behavior and rule out potential patients who may have more serious psychological issues.

¡°There may be patients who will never be satisfied with their bodies no matter how much surgery they receive or feel that their life will completely change after plastic surgery. These are not ideal candidates for surgery and should seek further counseling to address their underlying psychological issues. But for women who seek improvements in certain physical areas, plastic surgery can be a very positive experience,¡± she said.

¡°This study shows that there are genuine psychological improvements that follow plastic surgery, and these issues must be understood and respected,¡± she added.

The study appears in the current issue of Plastic Surgical Nursing. (ANI)