As we know, men with diabetes are more exposed to erectile dysfunction. But what about women? A study from the University of San Francisco in California sheds some light on the intimate lives of women with diabetes. “This is an area very little studied, especially in older women,” said Dr. Alison Huang, director of the study whose findings appeared in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.
To find out more, her team surveyed 2,300 Californian women between the ages of 40 and 80. Among them, 6% of the women questioned are treated with insulin. 15% of respondents are diabetic without benefiting from any treatment. The rest of the panel is not diabetic.
At the end of this survey, the scientists noted that more than a third of diabetic women treated with insulin declare themselves “very” dissatisfied or “moderately” dissatisfied on the sexual plan. In diabetics not treated with insulin, the level of sexual dissatisfaction is one in four women. This is more than among non-diabetics, less than one in five women consider themselves sexually dissatisfied.
Sexually active women treated with insulin complained more of problems with lubrication and orgasm than women without diabetes. And women with diabetes-related complications like heart disease and kidney problems would have, on average, less than one intercourse per month.
This difference between women with diabetes and others persisted regardless of the parameters taken into account: age, race, marital status, BMI and hormone replacement therapy.
Diabetes: libido is not involved
Do Women With Diabetes Have Less Sexual Appetite Than Others? “The problem is not that women are not interested in sex, refutes Dr Huang to the Daily Mail. Women with diabetes have admitted to having more sexual problems, while showing the same interest in sex as other women. and by reporting as much sex as everyone else.
The study does not provide an explanation for these sexual problems. In women, sexual difficulties do not seem to be linked to blood circulation problems as in diabetic men.
In women, the problem could be more global. Diabetes and its possible complications (overweight, hypertension,…) could weigh like a burden and constitute a brake on a fulfilling sexuality.
Another hypothesis, a high blood sugar level is harmful to the nerves and this can negatively influence sexual pleasure.
Follow a diet and playing sports regularly can be a solution to limit this risk of complications and prevent the development of sexual problems, the study concludes.
