Private MD News

Sexual problems may be common for diabetic women

Category: Diabetes

A new study from the University of California, San Francisco suggests that diabetes may increase the likelihood that women become dissatisfied with sex. Such findings underscore the importance of undergoing a blood test in order to correctly diagnose diabetes.

Erectile dysfunction is a common problem among diabetic men. In order to investigate whether diabetic women experienced sexual problems as well, a team of scientists collected questionnaires from nearly 2,300 female study participants aged 40 to 80, about 21 percent of whom had diabetes.

Compared to non-diabetic women, subjects who had the metabolic disorder but did not require insulin were about 40 percent more likely to report lower overall satisfaction with sex. Meanwhile, those who needed insulin were more than twice as likely to be dissatisfied. Within the latter group, common issues included personal lubrication and difficulty achieving climax.

Sexual problems also tended to be more common among women who had end-organ complications related to diabetes, such as heart disease, stroke and peripheral neuropathy.

"Based on this research, clinicians may want to consider assessing diabetic women for sexual problems, particularly among those taking insulin, and counsel them that prevention of end-organ complications may be important in preserving sexual function," said lead researcher Kelli Copeland, B.A.

Women who are concerned about how their metabolic health may affect their sex life can undergo a blood test to measure their likelihood of developing diabetes.