11. Sex Difficulties
Close to three quarters of men with high blood sugar levels experience some level of difficulty “getting it up.” This could be explained by the decreased testosterone, a hormone responsible for male sexual drive, which was found among people with diabetes, especially those who are obese. Another cause is the changes in blood vessels and nerve supply to the penis, in an attempt of the body to replace damaged vessels and nerves caused by diabetes.
In women, nerve damage caused by diabetes have been found to impair lubrication of the vaginal wall, making sex painful and unpleasant. Aside from this, sensitivity to the clitoris may become diminished, affecting the ability to achieve orgasm.
