Diabetes
Diabetes is a very common disorder affecting roughly ten percent of the adult population in the U.S. People who are diabetic have abnormally high blood sugar levels. Over time, this can cause serious complication such as blindness, nerve damage, increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, increased risk of gangrene, coma, and death.
Diabetes can be successfully treated with a combination of insulin therapy, strict dietary guidelines, and careful self-monitoring of blood glucose levels. However, diabetes is a chronic condition that influences many areas of life. One of these is sexual function.
Sex and Diabetes
Diabetes can affect sexual function in many different ways. The need to monitor blood glucose levels apply even in sexual contexts. It is advisable to check blood sugar right before having sex, but if this is not possible you may want to take less insulin. Sex, like any strenuous physical exercise, can cause a drop in blood sugar. Eating a small snack right before or after having sex is also a good idea.
Roughly sixty to seventy percent of people with diabetes suffer from some form of nerve damage. This can interfere with sexual arousal in both men and women. Other effects of diabetes are more sex-specific.
Diabetes and Sexual Function in Men
Men with diabetes have twice as many problems with erectile dysfunction (ED) than the general population. Furthermore, these problems tend to begin ten to fifteen year earlier than they do in healthy males. Several factors influence a diabetic man’s chances of developing ED.
When a man becomes aroused, a chemical messenger called nitric oxide is released into the bloodstream. It causes the smooth muscles in the penis to relax and let in blood. Blood rushes into the penis and is caught there, causing an erection. Poorly treated diabetes can damage the blood vessels which are then unable to release sufficient amounts of nitric oxide. Without enough nitric oxide, many of the smooth muscles will not relax, and thus blood flow into the penis may be inadequate to cause an erection.
Diabetics have an increased incidence of high blood pressure. High blood pressure can exacerbate the damage done to blood vessels by diabetes, thereby further reducing blood flow into the penis. In addition, several of the medications commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure can contribute to ED.
Many diabetics also have high levels of blood cholesterol. Cholesterol builds up in the arteries and decreases the flow of blood even more.
For many men, getting more exercise or changing their diet can do a lot to improve the problems with sexual function caused by diabetes. In some cases, this may not be enough, and there are several medications available to treat ED. Known collectively as the PDE5 inhibitors, they allow increased blood flow into the penis. Other drugs are injected directly into the penis. For some men, these drugs may not be a good choice since they can interact with certain prescription medications. In these cases, devices such as a penis pump or surgery can often be helpful.
Diabetes and Sexual Function in Women
While the role of diabetes in affecting women’s sexual functioning was long ignored, today the medical community understands that women can be at least as affected as men by diabetic complications.
Nerve damage in women with diabetes can lead to problems with vaginal lubrication. This can make sex uncomfortable or painful. Diabetic neuropathy can also lead to poor bladder control, a factor that can complicate sexual intercourse.
Another unpleasant complication from diabetes is that it makes women prone to vaginal yeast infections as well as infections of the urinary tract. This is because the higher-than-normal amounts of sugar in the urine of diabetic women makes a tempting target for bacteria.
On top of everything else, many of the prescription drugs used to manage diabetes can interfere with the female libido.
While these problems are undeniably inconvenient, they are certainly not insurmountable. Lubricants can be used to take care of vaginal dryness, making a quick trip to the bathroom before sex can prevent unfortunate accidents, and there are many drugs available to treat yeast infections. There is also a clitoral therapy device available on the market that increases blood flow to the clitoris.
Talk to your doctor about what you can do to work around the complications caused by diabetes and continue enjoying your sexuality for many years to come.
http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/diabetes/sex.asp
http://www.webmd.com/solutions/diabetes_and_your_sex_life
