I read a report that suggested Diabetic women have a loss of libido? Is this true? Does this mean I will turn into a old maid while I am supposedly in my prime? For a Type 2 this is a form of valuable exercise. Is it the same for men or do they just shrivel up into a prune. This is a disturbing prognosis. HELP!!!
I think that has more to do with high blood sugar
Yep. Blood sugar and youknowwhat can't be up at the same.
If your blood sugar is not in good control, it can complicate sexual relations. You may want to join and consult this group for more personal advice
http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/diabetesandsexuality
With me its finding a guy that will allow me to rock his world. I was just shocked this is another side affect to diabetes as if we don't have enough already. I am just wondering is this in my future. hahaha
this Group, btw, is for women over 18. (there is also a men-only sexuality Group) You have to ask to join. Anything posted here does not show up on the "latest activity" or any feed readers, so it is private.
Christalyn, Do not worry. Type 2? Type 1?
If you are in great control there is absolutely no reason for loss of libido. All the stories are from the time when no one had meters.
When you are in a hypo, of course, there is reason for loss of libido, brains, and all the nerves that go between brain and wherever. lol
Well, a lot of it too, is the result of neuropathy... So.... if one can get that complication, in such a pervasive way (whether it be genetics or high blood sugars), then fixing the high blood sugars won't necessarily improve libido. Certainly as long as we can avoid both, we should have no worries.
Thanks for adding this disclaimer, I forgot!
Well, generally speaking, it could be more than just blood sugar/neuropathy. If a person is experiencing symptoms of depression due to diabetes/chronic illness, that could play into things not working right as well. same goes with side effects of medications, etc, that may be used to help treat complications of diabetes. While diabetes may be a big source of some issues, there may be outside sources as well.
I think that if there is a loss of libido, I'd have been a sex addict as a non-diabetic! Hahaha, I've had it since I was 6 (pre-libido days), so I'm not sure about a loss. But I think my 'appetite' is very much intact.
Only problem is if blood sugar is low - can't concentrate on the fun stuff when you feel all fuzzy-headed!
I concur, Kari. Diagnosed at 12 here.
I think you have to find a person who doesn't get frustrated when you for say "Let me test first" or in the middle of the actionn saying "I need to test", and then possibly having to correct (drink some juice or pop a couple of glucose tabs) when the other party might be in the heat of the moment. That can cause a relationship complication, if that is an issue. Some guys and gals have fragile egos, and things we don't think should bother them can cause them to get their feelings hurt, or make them feel self conscious.
That is the mental facor. As far as the physical, the diabetes related stuff is all easily prevented by keeping the bg levels stable to prevent nerve damage. Also the lows and/or highs from someone out of control can cause problems at the moment which could wreck havoc on a relationship. Never in the mood because you can't control your diabetes....That type of thing. At least that is what I think could cause problems.
so there is no problem with women...this is cool
do men have the same problem or are they blessed with being the energizer bunny???
Oh, women have issues, too... I was having some issues when I was at an A1C of 10.5%...
Before I was diagnosed, I was walking around with an A1C around 10 or 11. I remember clearly one night coming back home with my gf after eating too much pasta and desert and all, and getting so sleepy she thought she was boring me and got upset.
I retrospect its kind of funny. Still sad, but kind of funny.
How exactly diabetes impacts women's sexuality has been the subject of heated debate for some time. For at least the first 10 years after I was diagnosed, almost everything that discussed "women's issues" and diabetes dealt with menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Most discussion of sexual issues usually focused on body image, self-esteem, and other psychological issues. The only way diabetes was thought to impact sexual functioning with women is that high bgs can cause more frequent yeast infections, loss of lubrication, and an increase in depression, which yes, can reduce the desire for sex. I won't go into the specifics of some of the things that were said at that time (not really SFK and were insulting), but I will say that some believed the solution for all women's problems was a tube of K-Y jelly.
OTOH, men's problems are quite well-known and well-studied. Poorly controlled diabetes can leave men with erectile dysfunction, thanks to neuropathy and/or poor circulation. We were told back in the 1990s that up to 25% of men with diabetes could expect to develop serious cases of ED. Francine Kauffman wrote an excellent article about it on dLife, if you'd like to know more.
I've always believed that diabetes does impact women's sexuality more than has been reported, and I've been arguing this for at least the last 15 years. Essentially, if men can develop autonomic neuropathy, then so can women. The issue is being able to detect the problem, if one exists, and then determining if and how it impacts the woman and her partner. These are not easy questions to answer, or at least not as easy with a woman as it is with a man!
Yes, very well said... I really fully agree with you. Heck, even without Diabetes women's sexuality has been ignored forever... so much so that women's issues with impotence are largely ignored, and there are a lack of treatments out there... companies are probably not even interest in developing solutions for it, or at least they don't seem interested... Aside from telling women to just use KY Jelly. Indeed.
Great post, Angela. Agree with you! Female sexuality & diabetes isn't a researched topic, nor appears to be an area of concern. I think it's a common problem that no one talks about.