Sexuality and women with diabetes

Health educators are ideally placed to identify sexual problems and provide sex education for women with diabetes. Important pre-requisites are for the educator to have an understanding of the human sexual response; knowledge of the evidence for sexual dysfunction in diabetic women and to be comfortable with their own sexuality. This paper aims to discuss aspects of female sexuality; the effects of diabetes on female sexuality and sexual responsiveness. The evidence for and possible causes of, sexual dysfunction in diabetic females as documented in the literature are explored and strategies for identifying sexual problems outlined.