Other complications

Diabetes can have some effects that you might not anticipate. Aside from infections, high blood glucose has been linked to other issues that might affect your sex life. 

Erection Problems 

As many as 35 – 75% of men with any type of diabetes have problems with erections at some point in their life. The risk of this increase as you get older. 

This is also common in men without diabetes – around 25 – 70% of all men experience it – but it’s more likely in men who have diabetes (due to effects on the blood vessels). This tends to affect men with diabetes around ten years sooner than those without.

It can also be made worse by high blood glucose, high blood pressure, smoking, being overweight, drinking alcohol or stress

It can be treated, but it may also just be a one off. 

• Ask yourself if you were stressed or anxious, as this is usually the most likely cause. 
• If your blood glucose was high, it might be a one-off thing and you might be fine once your levels are normal. 
• It could be a longer-term complication. The best thing to do is to get your blood glucose levels under control and see a healthcare professional if you’re concerned. 

Female Sexual Issues 

Sexual issues are less investigated in women, but women with diabetes may be at an increased risk of vaginal dryness and difficulty reaching orgasm. 

• Again, this can be affected by stress or high blood glucose, both of which can affect your mood. 
• Check your blood glucose and correct it if it’s high. 
• Think back to see if anxiety or nervousness could have played a part. 
• You might want to buy an intimate moisturiser or lubricant, just in case it happens again. 

Make sure whatever you buy is compatible with anything you’re planning on using during sex! 

• Oil-based lubricants aren’t very common, but they damage condoms and anything else made of latex. Silicone-based lubricants will likewise damage silicone. 
• Some lubricants also contain sugar-based products like glycerine, or chemicals that might cause irritation – these can increase your risk of developing infections. 
• You can find out more information about the products you’re using by looking them up online. 

If you continue to experience any of these problems, you can speak to a healthcare professional, or bring it up at your next check-up. There are treatments available that can help, and your doctor or nurse should be able to help you figure out what’s best for you. 

So now you know that both low and high blood glucose can affect your sex life.  This is why good blood glucose control is so important when you’re considering having sex – it keeps you safer and means you can have a much better time. The following is a quick recap of some of the things that might put a damper on your fun if your blood glucose is running high or low: