Having a full and healthy life as a woman living with diabetes starts with learning how diabetes can impact your body as well as your blood glucose (blood sugar). For example, diabetes increases your risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), and changes in hormones that occur during your menstrual cycle and pregnancy affect your blood glucose.
Sexual Health
Prediabetes and diabetes can impact your sexual health, including reducing desire, arousal, and the potential for orgasm. If you have anxiety, depression, and frequent UTIs, the risk is higher.
Women who have gone through menopause may develop genitourinary syndrome, including vaginal dryness and pain during sex (dyspareunia).
Talking to your doctor about these concerns can help. They can teach you about lifestyle factors (physical activity, a healthy eating plan, and quitting smoking/vaping) to improve your sexual health. If you are eligible, hormone replacement therapy and FDA-approved medications for reduced sexual desire may be options.
Contraceptives and Family Planning
If you are not planning on getting pregnant but are of childbearing age, talk to your doctor about the use of birth control. Unplanned pregnancies are more dangerous for women with diabetes than those without.
If you have diabetes and plan to get pregnant, reaching your blood glucose targets is important to prevent complications during pregnancy. Work with your doctor and the rest of your health care team to reach blood glucose levels as close to normal as safely as possible—ideally an A1C of under 6.5%.
You should also get checked for diabetes-related retinopathy with comprehensive dilated eye exams before and during your pregnancy.
Hormones
Hormonal changes before and during menstruation can cause blood glucose to rise. Changes like increases in progesterone can increase insulin resistance, making it harder for you to manage blood glucose. During this time, your doctor may need to make changes to your medication, eating plan, and regular physical activity. Living with diabetes can also lead to earlier menopause than someone without diabetes.
Heart Disease
Women with diabetes are at a greater risk of developing heart disease. Over time, high blood glucose can impact the vessels of the heart and increase the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and coronary artery disease. Other risk factors include:
- A waist circumference of more than 35 inches
- Family history of diabetes
- Smoking
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
Think about your risk factors and talk to your doctor about getting checked for heart disease.
Bone Health
After menopause, women are at increased risk of developing bone loss (osteoporosis), which weakens your bones. If you have diabetes, this risk is higher. Bone loss or brittle bones increases your risk of broken bones (fractures). To prevent or delay bone loss, you can:
- Manage your blood glucose.
- Have your nutrients (calcium, vitamin D, protein, and magnesium) checked through lab work that your doctor can order for you.
- Get regular physical activity. Aim for 150 minutes of activity a week. This could be 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Make two of these sessions’ strength training.
- Get bone density screenings. Talk to your doctor to find out if you need one.
Lifestyle Changes
Diabetes increases your risk of other conditions, but following a healthy lifestyle can lower your risk and help prevent or delay them. Some lifestyle changes you can make include:
- Following a healthy eating plan that follows the Diabetes Plate which includes choices of non-starchy vegetables, lean protein, starchy vegetables, beans/legumes, fruits, whole grains, milk and yogurt
- Getting physical activity. Aim for 150 minutes of activity a week. This could be 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Make two of these sessions’ strength training.
- Reducing stress.
- Getting enough sleep (7–9 hours).
- Quitting smoking. If you need help, call 1-800-QUITNOW or visit smokefree.gov.
- Managing your blood glucose.
- Going to your regular health care visits.
- Starting a mindfulness practice like yoga, journaling, and deep breathing.
Plan to make small changes and stick to them. For support, talk to your doctor, certified diabetes care and education specialist, or other members of your health care team.
Family Planning
If you have diabetes and plan to get pregnant, reaching your blood glucose targets is important to prevent complications during pregnancy. Work with your doctor and the rest of your health care team to reach blood glucose levels as close to normal as safely possible, ideally an A1C of under 6.5%.
