Featuring Dr. Stacy Elliott, MD
Why Erectile Dysfunction is Linked to Diabetes
Duration: 1 minute, 10 seconds

It’s very common for men with diabetes to have difficulties in their sexual life.

The reason for this is that they have factors that influence especially their erection. About 50 percent of men, especially with type I diabetes, will have trouble with their erections.

The reason diabetes affects your erection is because both the small and the large vessels with terms of blood flow are affected. Furthermore, your nerves are involved the same way that your feet may become numb with time. The same nerve transmission to the penis can also be affected.

Thirdly, men with diabetes have different smooth muscle mechanism. So the actual smooth muscles in the penis may not relax as well as those men without diabetes. Fourthly, about a third of men with diabetes are low in testosterone which will also affect your overall sexual functioning.

If you have sexual problems because of your diabetes, please see your doctor.

Presenter: Dr. Stacy Elliott, Psychiatrist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Psychiatrist