What You Need to Know about Diabetes and Sex?
By Renate Drousch
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| Diabetes Mellitus: Does diabetes affect your sex drive? |
Yes, it can. People
usually feel most romantic and interested in sex when they are relaxed and can
be spontaneous. It is hard to feel like that if you are embarrassed that you
have lumps and bruises from where you give your insulin shots or if you are
worried about your blood glucose dropping too low. It is not very romantic to
tell your partner to stop in the middle of lovemaking so that you can check
your blood glucose. If
your diabetes is
out of control and you feel exhausted, stressed, and thirsty, this will affect
your sex drive. If you have a yeast infection and need to go to the bathroom a
lot, this can interfere with sex. Whether you have diabetes or not the most important
thing to do to help your sex drive is to have good communication with your
partner. There is no reason you can’t have as healthy and enjoyable a sex life
as anyone without diabetes. Just like with other aspects of life, having
diabetes means there are more things for you to think about and adjust, but
with a loving partner and a good attitude, your sex drive should be as good as
anyone else’s. If it is not, you should talk to your doctor about it.
Research on Diabetes and Sexual Dysfunction
There is more research on sexual dysfunction in males than females.
In males, current research points to the need to develop a comprehensive
biopsychosocial evaluation and treatment of diabetic patients with sexual
dysfunction because of the high incidence of major depression and anxiety
disorders noted in impotent men with neuropathy as compared to those who did
not have depression, anxiety, or impotence, but had neuropathy.
One caveat here is that just learning to cope with a chronic disease may
cause psychiatric problems which may lead to lack of compliance, and may
snowball into chronic complications, and so the process feeds on itself. For
these reasons, any complicated behavior such as sex deserves a comprehensive
work-up by a trusted physician.
Sexual Dysfunction in Women with Diabetes
In women, even as late as 1989, it was thought that there was no greater
incidence of sexual disorders in diabetics than in the general
population. By 1994, however, researchers noted that problems with
libido, arousal, and orgasm are common in both men and women with diabetes.
Let us begin with common answers about sexual dysfunction in women.It is true that
some women with diabetes experience decreased sex drive or the inability to
achieve orgasm. Like other complications of the disease, this is a slow and
progressive pattern. It is thought to be a result of diabetic neuropathy and/or
vascular disease.
Also, the fact that uncontrolled diabetes can sap strength and therefore
sexual desire, may play a role in the problem. Diabetic women have a
predisposition to chronic vaginal infections, which may also interfere with
normal sexual pleasure.
Add to this the
effects of medications taken for
other medical problems such as heart disease, and the fears that many of us
carry concerning the complications of pregnancy, the effect of our disease on
our marriages and work, and you can begin to appreciate the complexity of
trying to ferret out the causes of sexual dysfunction.
More research has
been done on type 1 diabetic women than women with type 2 diabetes. However,
research completed does show that type 2 diabetic women are more likely to
experience some sort of dysfunction.
Participants reported less sexual desire, less satisfaction, more avoidance
of sex, difficulty with lubrication, and fewer orgasms. Researchers postulated
that these type 2 diabetic women had more neurovascular problems which would
account for lubrication difficulties.
These researchers also examined psychological aspects of older type 2diabetic women who reported that they felt their bodies were less sexually
attractive than non-diabetic women.
Now the good news. More than 60% of women in the study did not report any
dysfunction.
Researchers point out that if you are experiencing difficulties, a candid
talk with your physician about the side effects of medications you take which
may impact your sex life is very important. For example, certain medications
for hypertension may affect orgasm.
As important is to
monitor food intake and exercise. Controlling weight and diabetes
will enhance self esteem and body image. Also, knowing that as we age we may
need more time for arousal, it is important to share your needs with your
partner, and if necessary, to ask for help from the appropriate professional.
Sexual Dysfunction in Men with Diabetes
For men, as for women, the process of developing a sexual dysfunction may
be slow and progressive. In men, impotence may come and go at times. It may
begin with erections that are less firm than before, and then progress to those
which are shorter duration and less firm.
The man will continue to have interest in sex and be able to have orgasms.
It is thought that this process occurs in about half of all diabetic men and is
caused by diabetic neuropathy.
Experts report that it can be slowed down and treated, but that actual tissue
damage can not be reversed. It is therefore very important to report symptoms
early as apposed to later in the process to get the most effective treatment.
Sometimes impotence is a flag of undiagnosed diabetes, and then the
impotence has a rapid onset. It comes with the other classic signs of the
diabetes. In these cases, it can usually be resolved with good control of
glucose levels.
As with women, there may be others reasons for developing sexual
dysfunction. It may be a response to the fears and stresses of having diabetes,
or the fear of developing impotence.
It may also be a result of medications taken for other conditions or a
combination of medications taken. It may also be a result of other illnesses
which,, when resolved, will alleviate the problem.
Talking to Your
Doctor about Sexual Dysfunction
If you are experiencing sexual dysfunction, do talk to a trusted physician
and get a referral to the appropriate specialist. We all know that talking
about sex is sometimes difficult, and talking about sexual dysfunction is next
to impossible for some.
But not getting sound medical advice will leave you in the dark hole where
you are now only it will continue to get darker.
According to a new national survey, the MUSE Impotence Report, most men
(64%) have never discussed their sex life with a physician. And most women
(58%) mistakenly believe their partner would be upset if they took the
initiative in arranging a doctor's appointment.
Sexual Dysfunction Treatments for Men with Diabetes
There are several treatments available for sexual dysfunction in men with
diabetes. These include:
·
penile
implants: Your ability to undergo the surgery for an implant will be
affected by the normalcy of your blood supply, your healing ability, and
existing tissue damage.
·
medications that
work by dilating blood vessels, allowing more blood to flow into the penis
·
non-surgical
methods such as sliding a gel-coated pellet into the opening of the penis, a
vacuum device, or injecting medication into the base of the penis with a
needle.
Make sure you speak to a urologist who is experienced with dealing with
diabetes, and do talk to other couples who use the implant.
In the meantime, remember that relationships are not just about sex, but
about truth and sharing. So while you and your doctor are working on
understanding your needs, you can continue to be the loving partner you have
always been. Remember, our bodies may change, but we remain us, the same person
we were at age 21, only better in many important ways.
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