Jennifer Wider graduated from Princeton University in 1994 with B.A. in the humanities. She received her medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1999. During medical school, she interned at a CBS local news affiliate and 20/20 in New York City. Jennifer worked as a senior editor at Medscape/CBS HealthWatch out of medical school. She has had many publications in newspapers, magazines and websites across the country and has been a guest on CBS News, National Public Radio and various cable channels. Jennifer was formerly the managing editor of the health channel at iVillage.com and currently reports on health and medical issues for the Society for Women's Health Research. As well, she is co-author of The Savvy Woman Patient.

Jennifer Wider--

Diabetes can take a toll on a person’s overall health, but amidst all of the possible problems that may arise sexual dysfunction is not often talked about and is more common than most people realize. According to the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, Mass., roughly 35 percent of women with diabetes may experience some form of sexual dysfunction related to their disease. 

Most of the past research about diabetes’ impact on sex has focused on men. But it has become quite clear that women suffering from diabetes may experience sexual difficulties as a result of complications from the disease. A recent study in the journal Lancet revealed that diabetes frequently impairs normal sexual functioning in both men and women. 

According to the study’s research team from the Department of Endocrinology at the Boston University School of Medicine, “The effect of diabetes on women's sexual function is complex: the most consistent finding is a correlation between sexual dysfunction and depression.” 

In addition to the psychological effects of the disease, the study’s authors were quick to point out that more research in body physiology was needed to fully understand the toll diabetes can take on the female patient. “More research on the sexual effects of abnormal adrenal and thyroid function, hyperprolactinaemia, and metabolic syndrome should also be prioritized,” the study authors wrote. Hyperprolactinaemia is the presence of abnormally-high levels of the hormone prolactin in the blood. Unusually high amounts of prolactin are suspected to be responsible for impotence and loss of libido.

Women with diabetes who suffer from sexual dysfunction often have a wide variety of complaints.  Nerve damage from the disease can result in a decrease of sexual arousal and lowered libido. Diabetic women are also more prone to problems with decreased vaginal lubrication. In addition, some women with diabetes may suffer from recurring vaginitis, or inflammation of the vagina, as a result of yeast infections, which can make sexual intercourse painful. 

There are treatments available for sexual dysfunction, which vary based on the underlying cause. The key is to have an open, honest discussion with a health care provider who can assist patients in narrowing in on the cause and finding the proper therapy.   

Diabetes results from the body's inability to produce or respond to insulin, a hormone necessary for the absorption of sugar. There are several types of diabetes—the main ones are type 1 and type 2. Type 2 is the most common and usually affects overweight people who are older than 45 with a history of the disease in their family.

“Increases in obesity and sedentary behavior are the major drivers of the diabetes surge,” says Dr. K.M. Venkat Narayan, M.D., chief of the Diabetes Epidemiology Section at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga.

Although the number of people suffering from diabetes is at an all-time high, there are measures people can take to cut their risk. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can lower the chance of getting diabetes for both men and women. “Exercising thirty minutes per day, five to seven times a week and keeping your weight under control with a healthy diet,” explains Narayan.

SOURCES: Bhasin S, Enzlin P, et al.  Sexual dysfunction in men and women with endocrine disorders.  Lancet. 2007 Apr 21; 369(9570): 1346.
© March 13, 2008 Society for Women's Health Research

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