How diabetes affects your sex life
HAVING a chronic disease impacts on several aspects of a person’s life, and when it comes to diabetes, one of the areas that is often affected is the sexual health of both men and women who are diagnosed.
General practitioner Dr Lenworth Jackson explained that not all diabetics will have difficulty experiencing sexual intercourse. This problem is often experienced by those who do not practice a healthy lifestyle so they can get their blood sugar levels under control.
“When diabetes is controlled then everything is okay, but when diabetes is not controlled, what happens is that it affects the nerves that are responsible for letting a male get an erection and you’ll have erectile incompetence, so the male can’t get an erection any at all and intercourse is impossible,” he said.
In addition to not being able to have or sustain an erection, some men with diabetes also suffer from a condition known as retrograde ejaculation. With this condition, semen enters the bladder and mixes with urine during ejaculation, instead of out of the tip of the penis. This occurs because diabetes causes the sphincter muscles to not function properly.
Dr Jackson pointed out that diabetes also makes some people feel lethargic and so they often lack the energy needed to perform sexual intercourse. Both men and women have also been shown to have less interest in sexual activity because of the lowering of the libido.
“Women as well as men also report a higher rate of difficulty with orgasm including premature ejaculation with men. Some diabetics suffer from anorgasmia, which in women is a condition where you are not able to climax,” the doctor explained.
Sexual problems in diabetic women are caused by a variety of factors, including nerve damage, reduced blood flow to genital and vaginal tissues, and hormonal changes.
“There are a number of social, psychological and physical problems that women have as well. I suppose it’s an indirect way, but the female sexual desire is dependent on testosterone and the testosterone is rather less in diabetic patients. The uncontrolled diabetic females have less of a propensity to have intercourse. Furthermore, they tend to have more infections,” Dr Jackson explained.
Other sexual problems experienced by diabetic women are decreased vaginal lubrication, a decrease or the absence of sexual response, and also uncomfortable or painful sexual intercourse. The use of prescription or over the counter vaginal lubricants is therefore encouraged to better facilitate a less painful sexual experience.
Dr Jackson pointed out that the use of certain medications by diabetics also contributes to some of the issues they experience during sex. The doctor noted that those who are unable to effectively control their diabetes are often prescribed a lot more medication than those who have gotten a handle on the disease.
“The medication tends to reduce libido as well, meaning that the medication will cause a reduction in sexual appetite and in fact the medication itself can lead to erectile dysfunction,” he said.
“From that point of view in terms of the males, it’s always better for the males to be exercising in addition to taking medication, and it’s better to keep medication to a minimum,” he added.
He said partners of diabetic patients can help their partners to enjoy sex more by helping them to keep their blood sugar levels under control.
“The best thing to do is to sort of live through the illness with the partner primarily by getting involved, and helping them to exercise and having a culture of exercise in the household,” he said.
Partners can also help by being more considerate and creative under the sheets. Techniques and positions to elicit more interest in sex must be explored to ensure that the relationship is not impacted by the disease.
