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One-third with type 2 diabetes reports sexual dissatisfaction
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One-third of people with type 2 diabetes screened is sexually dissatisfied and more than half of these patients reports a need for help, according to findings published in the Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications.
“The high prevalence of sexual dysfunction and sexual dissatisfaction in people with [type 2 diabetes] stresses the importance of discussing these issues in diabetes care,” Anne Bijlsma-Rutte, MSc, of the department of general practice and elderly care medicine at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, and colleagues wrote. “However, the identification and discussion of sexual problems and eventual care needs currently seems to be insufficient. For example, it was found that 66% of men with [type 2 diabetes] reported to have never been asked about sexual problems by their general practitioner.”
Bijlsma-Rutte and colleagues analyzed data from 773 adults aged 40 to 75 years with type 2 diabetes from 45 general practices in the Netherlands participating in a randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of a sexual counseling model compared with usual care (66.5% men; mean age, 63 years). Participants were approached for screening during a routine three-monthly control visit; data was collected between January 2015 and February 2016. A Dutch translation of the Brief Sexual Symptom Checklist (BSSC) for men and women was used to screen for dissatisfaction.
Within the cohort, 36.6% reported sexual dissatisfaction, with men reporting a higher prevalence than women (41.1% vs. 27.8%). Among men, those reporting sexual dissatisfaction were older compared with those who did not report dissatisfaction (median age, 64 years vs. 62 years; P < .001), whereas women reporting sexual dissatisfaction tended to be younger than those not reporting dissatisfaction (median age, 60 years vs. 61 years; P = .081) Of those reporting the duration of dissatisfaction (n = 144), the median was 3 years for both sexes.
Men reporting dissatisfaction were most likely to report erectile dysfunction (71.6%), low sexual desire (26.1%) and delayed or absent ejaculation (20.9%); women reporting dissatisfaction were most likely to report low sexual desire (52.8%), lubrication problems (45.8%) and dyspareunia (27.8%).
Among patients reporting sexual dissatisfaction, 61.8% reported wanting to discuss problems with a general practitioner (66.8% of men; 47.2% of women). Increasing duration of sexual dissatisfaction was associated with a decreasing need for help, according to researchers, whereas an increasing number of sexual problems was associated with an increasing need for help.
“Screening for sexual problems and dissatisfaction is important to facilitate the conversation about sexual problems between the [general practitioner] and the patient, and is expectedly an important first step in improving sexual satisfaction in people with [type 2 diabetes],” the researchers wrote. “Screening with the BSSC could be a first step to proactively identify sexually dissatisfied people in practice.” – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosures: The Dutch Diabetes Research Foundation supported this study. The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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