Sexual Dysfunction in Diabetes Mellitus

Excerpt

To the editor: In reading the February supplement on diabetic autonomic neuropathy, we were struck by two major differences between the diabetic cases of Dr. Ellenberg (1) and ours.

The first difference is in the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in diabetic females. For the past 5 months we have held weekly inpatient diabetes education classes; during the first few weeks we echoed categorical statements (1, 2) that diabetic neuropathy does not affect female sexual function. This statement was so frequently objected to by patients that we have stopped making it. In interviews, diabetic women who complained of sexual dysfunction invariably