Diabetes and intimate relationships
Intimate relationships present some extra issues to think about and find your way through:
- When to tell a person you are dating about diabetes is entirely your choice. It might be influenced by factors such as how well you know them, how comfortable you feel discussing it, the amount of time you are spending together (being discrete about checking glucose levels and using insulin may cause more difficulty than openly sharing the basics), and whether or not you are considering physical intimacy/sex.
- Intimacy and sex can affect and be affected by glucose levels. You might want to share with a sexual partner in advance about diabetes and the risk of hypo following sex (this doesn’t need to be a long and detailed conversation, but it can be helpful to fill the person in on the basics).
Click on the image below to read more information on diabetes and sex, including hypos, new partners, thrush and sexual difficulties:
Go to ‘Diabetes and your relationship with others’ to return to the main topic page, or choose another section.
I have been married for more than 20 years and I told my husband from the start that I have type 1, he is always very supportive and if I say I am not feeling to good he always says to me “check your bloods” which in most cases is the issue.