Is it true that people with diabetes are vulnerable to sexual and fertility disorders?
Dr.dr.Tri Juli Edi Tarigan, SpPD-KEMD
Continuously high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes mellitus will cause disruption to the blood vessel walls and other tissues outside the blood vessels. All large and small blood vessels will be affected at any given time. Because the genital organs also consist of blood vessels, both large and small, as well as nerves, they are susceptible to sexual and fertility disorders in people with diabetes.
Sexual dysfunction and fertility in people with diabetes are often found. In men with diabetes, the most common disorder is erectile dysfunction, which accounts for around 40-50% of men with diabetes. In diabetic women, sexual disorders (female sexual dysfunction) can be found in around 20-30% of women with diabetes.
Apart from sexual disorders, people with diabetes are also susceptible to fertility problems, both women and men. Many studies in diabetic men show that the sperm quality of diabetic men (volume, number, shape and movement) is worse compared to non-diabetic men. Diabetic women will experience menstrual disorders more often, have more difficulty getting pregnant, experience more problems during childbirth, and malformations of babies born compared to non-diabetics.
Bibliography:
- Maiorino et all. Diabetes and sexual dysfunction: current perspectives. 2014
- Basmatzou et all. Diabetes melitus and influences on human fertility. 2016
