Can Diabetes Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

Getting an erection is a complicated process. It involves your brain, hormones, emotions, nerves, muscles, and blood vessels all working in harmony. So, when something affects any of these, it can lead to erectile dysfunction (ED). And this includes diabetes. 

Let’s look at how diabetes and erectile dysfunction are connected, what treatments work best for diabetes-related ED, and how to spot the signs that your diabetes might be affecting your erections. 

Three key takeaways 

• Diabetes can cause erectile dysfunction due to prolonged high blood sugar damaging nerves and blood vessels, which affects blood flow to the penis. 

• If suitable, erectile dysfunction pills like Viagra can be taken by diabetics.  

• Better management of your diabetes, including stabilising blood sugar levels and losing weight (if needed), can help reverse your erectile dysfunction. 

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition caused when your blood sugar (glucose) is too high.

Glucose mainly comes from carbohydrates in your food and drink and is your body’s preferred source of energy. When glucose is in your bloodstream, your body uses insulin to help it reach your cells, where it’s broken down into energy.

However, if you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or it’s resistant to its effects. This means your body can’t break glucose down into energy, and your blood glucose levels continue to increase. 

Type 1 diabetes and erectile dysfunction

Type 1 diabetes is when your body can't make insulin, so you need to take insulin injections to control your blood sugar.

As type 1 diabetes typically develops in childhood or early adulthood, blood vessels and nerves may be exposed to high blood sugar levels for longer, potentially causing damage that can lead to ED.

This means people with type 1 diabetes often develop erectile dysfunction at a younger age compared to those with type 2.

Type 2 diabetes and erectile dysfunction

Type 2 diabetes is when your body becomes resistant to insulin’s effects and eventually doesn’t make enough. It’s typically associated with obesity and poor diet, and can often be managed with lifestyle changes, medications, and sometimes, insulin.

People with type 2 diabetes commonly develop cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. These, along with nerve and blood vessel damage from elevated blood sugar levels, can lead to further health issues like erectile dysfunction.

How to treat diabetes and erectile dysfunction

If your erectile dysfunction is caused by an underlying condition, treatment usually focuses on managing that condition to see if it leads to improvements in the bedroom. With diabetes, this involves keeping your blood glucose levels within a normal range.

How you achieve this depends on whether you have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes:

Treating erectile dysfunction with type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes and ED can be managed by:

• monitoring your blood glucose levels
• counting the carbohydrates in your food and drink
• calculating how much insulin you need
• taking insulin via injection several times a day
• watching out for signs of hypoglycaemia (hypos) and knowing how to treat it