5 Things You Need to Know About Sex and Diabetes

1. Diabetes May Affect Sexual Function

Sexual dysfunction is a problem that interferes with a person's sexual performance. According to the Journal of Urology, men and women with diabetes are more likely than non diabetics to experience sexual dysfunction.

Twenty five percent of all women and 50 percent of men with diabetes experience some sort of sexual dysfunction due to their disease. Some of the sexual dysfunction range from erectile dysfunction to a loss of desire for sex in both men and women.

In men, diabetes can damage the nervous system, which aides with the process of keeping an erection. Some men only realize that they are suffering from diabetes when they visit the doctor to correct issues related to sexual dysfunctions and maintaining an erection.

2. Diabetes May Cause Impotence and Erectile Dysfunction

According to a study produced in the Journal of Urology, the presence of diabetes in over 2000 men between the ages of 40 and 79 years of age, was greatly associated with erectile dysfunction as well as other aspects of sexual dysfunction.

According to statistics from the Mayo Clinic, "as many as 80 percent of men with diabetes develop erectile dysfunction, compared to about 22 percent to 25 percent of men without diabetes."

There are many men that may experience issues with erectile dysfunction at some points during their lives; however, men with diabetes can experience these problems 10 to 15 years earlier than the average male.

3. Sexual Dysfunction Can Occur in Women Too

Women with diabetes may find that during their menstrual cycles there is in increase in their blood sugars as well as cravings for sugar and carbohydrate products. Women with diabetes may also have a need for extra lubrication as well as a lack of sexual response due to nerve damage. If this is the case they may need to speak with their physicians to receive medication that will help improve their sexual response.

4. There are Solutions

The most important thing for men with diabetes to do is to get their blood sugar under control. Good blood sugar can prevent nerve and blood vessel complications, which often lead to erectile dysfunction.

Men with diabetes who are already experiencing complications and erectile dysfunction can also obtain treatment through medications, such as Viagra and Cialis. Medical doctors can also offer men with erectile dysfunction due to diabetes several options to help them maintain erections. These options include small penile suppositories that contain prostaglandins, or intra-penile injections. Your urologist may also recommend surgery to implant a penile prosthesis.

Penile injection therapy, is a process in which a medication is injected directly into the penis. The medication causes blood vessels to widen, allowing blood to flow more freely and create an erection. Another method, known as intra-urethral pellet therapy, allows the doctor to place a tiny medicated pellet inside the tip of the penis. As the pellet dissolves, it releases medication that increases blood flow and causes stiffness in about five to ten minutes.

The final option is the vacuum pump. To use this, the doctor places a plastic device over the penis, and a vacuum withdraws all the air from around it, causing blood to flow into the penis and making it rise like a balloon. Then you put a constriction ring around the base of the penis to hold the blood in place. It?s a bit bulky and awkward to use at first, but it?s cheap and easy, and it often does the trick.

If these simpler treatments are unsuccessful, there are about 15 different models of penile prostheses available for surgical implant. One of these models involves the placement of two silicon rods into the penis. The rods keep the penis in a state of semi-erection constantly. Your doctor or urologist can tell you about the others and whether one might be right for you.

5. You Can Make Your Sex Life Work

If you feel that your diabetes is interfering with your sex life or your sexual appetite, it is important to consult your doctor as to how to move forward. It is also very important to talk with your partner about what you are going through and your concerns about erectile dysfunction.

Talking with your doctor or partner can also allow you to come up with less invasive ways to treat sexual complications as a result of diabetes. Both partners may opt for sex therapy, which can teach both partners about other satisfying paths to sex that may have not already been explored.