Sexual function in diabetic patients.

Although sexual dysfunction in the male diabetic has been recognized for many years, only recently has systematic investigation been undertaken to understand the problems involved. The marked increase of impotence in diabetes has been shown to be, to a significant extent, a result of diabetic autonomic pelvic neuropathy. However, awareness of other causes of impotence is essential for proper diagnosis and appropriate therapy. Strikingly, the marked impact of diabetes on male sexual function is not shared by the female diabetic patient, whose sex interest and orgasmic reaction are essentially unimpaired when compared with those of the nondiabetic female.