Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, surveyed 2,270 women between the ages 40 to 80, 21% of whom had diabetes. The results? Women with diabetes reported having less satisfying sex lives and experiencing more sexual health problems than women without diabetes. More From Prevention.com: The Workout That Can Beat Prediabetes It wasn’t a matter of not being interested in sex—in general, women with diabetes were as up for it as women without the disease. The issues came down to the physiological: Women who used insulin were about twice as likely to report lubrication and orgasm problems as non-diabetic women. As a result, women who had diabetic complications had sex less frequently. (Check out 5 Reasons Why It Hurts Down There) The results aren’t surprising, says Angela Ginn, RD, an education program coordinator at the University of Maryland Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology. While sexual issues are a frequent topic of conversation with her patients, it’s less well known to the public, she says. “Women who have diabetes and are not controlling blood glucose properly can have a low libido, low sex drive, suffer from recurrent yeast infections, and experience vaginal dryness,” Ginn says. More from Prevention.com: Sex Drive Makeovers But don’t blame it on the insulin. Taking insulin just shows is that the disease is more advanced, which means it’s more likely for other complications to set in, says Ginn. So what can you do? Take back control by tackling the basics—eating well, tracking your blood sugar, and getting some exercise, says Ginn. Not only will this help reduce diabetes complications, but good control of your glucose can lead to a happier, healthier sex life, too. More From Prevention.com: Food Cures For Diabetes, 6 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex
