Long term of
diabetes may cause
sexual dysfunction in females. Most common among them are vaginal
dryness, sexual discomfort, lack of desire or absent sexual response.
Female sexual
dysfunction causes
- Infections and irritation, chronic high blood
sugars promote yeast infections and vaginal irritation.
- Low
blood flow, vascular damage caused by poorly-controlled diabetes
restricts the blood flow to the vagina, which causes vaginal dryness
and interferes with arousal.
- Nerve damage, women who have
neuropathy to the genital area, the reproductive organs, or the vagina
may have difficulty achieving orgasm.
- Neurogenic bladder, women
with nerve damage to the bladder may have incontinence problems that
make sex difficult and/or embarrassing. It can also make urinary tract
infections (UTIs) more common, which may make sex uncomfortable.
Common female
sexual dysfunctions
Many women
with diabetes experience sexual problems. Sexual problems
may include
- vaginal dryness or decreased vaginal
lubrication,
- sexual intercourse with discomfort or painful
- lack of desire for sexual activity
- low or absent sexual response
Low
or absent sexual response can be the inability to attain or remain
arouse, lack of or absent sensation in the genital, and always or
occasional inability to attain orgasm.
Causes of sexual problems
in women with diabetes may be due to nerve damage, lack of blood supply
to genital and vaginal tissues, and hormonal changes. Other causes may
be due to some medications, alcohol, smoking, psychological problems of
anxiety or depression, gynecologic infections, other conditions
relating to pregnancy or menopause.
Consult doctors for
treatment, the treatment may be after diagnosing the cause. For vaginal
dryness over the counter vaginal lubricant will be prescribed. In most
of the cases psychological counseling may provide useful solution.
