title: Sexual lifestyle among young adults with type 1 diabetes.
abstract: Sexual lifestyles including sexual activity, problems, satisfaction, and the formation and maintenance of relationships are greatly affected by physical health. Data are limited regarding the sexual lifestyle of adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Fear of hypoglycemic episodes during sexual intercourse and intimacy issues can impact individuals with T1DM. The aim of this study was to assess sexual lifestyles of individuals with T1DM.
  
  
  
  Fifty-three patients with T1DM, 27 (51%) males, mean ± SD age 27.9 ± 8.3 years completed the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey-II and the Sex Practices and Concerns questionnaire.
  
  
  
  Thirty-seven (70%) reported they never or almost never had concerns in their sexual lifestyles that were related to their diabetes. None experienced severe hypoglycemia during sex, but 21 (40%) reported occasional mild hypoglycemic events. More than two-thirds do not take any measures to prevent hypoglycemia before sex (decreasing insulin dose, snacks, and measuring blood glucose levels). Fear of hypoglycemia during sex was reported by 18 (35%); those who reported increased fear experienced mild hypoglycemic events during sex (61.1% vs 26.5%, P = .01), were singles (94.4% vs 64.7%, P = .02), and had higher scores on the Worries subscale of the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey-II (42.8 ± 12.8 vs 34.9 ± 10.5, P = .04) compared with those who did not.
  
  
  
  Among young people with T1DM, most do not have concerns regarding sex that are related to their diabetes, and most do not take specific measures before or after sex. One-third, however, fear of hypoglycemia during sex, mostly singles and those who experienced hypoglycemia in the past. Caregivers should be aware and address these concerns. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Maccabi Juvenile Diabetes Center, Raanana, Israel.|Pediatric Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Tel Hashomer, Ramat-Gan, Israel.|Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Orit
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pinhas-Hamiel
authors.affiliation: Maccabi Juvenile Diabetes Center, Raanana, Israel.
authors.forename: Efrat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tisch
authors.affiliation: Maccabi Juvenile Diabetes Center, Raanana, Israel.
authors.forename: Noa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Levek
authors.affiliation: Maccabi Juvenile Diabetes Center, Raanana, Israel.
authors.forename: Rachel Frumkin
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ben-David
authors.affiliation: Maccabi Juvenile Diabetes Center, Raanana, Israel.
authors.forename: Chana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graf-Bar-El
authors.affiliation: Maccabi Juvenile Diabetes Center, Raanana, Israel.|Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yaron
authors.affiliation: Women and Children's Health Research Unit, Gertner Institute, Tel Hashomer, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Boyko
authors.affiliation: Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.|Women and Children's Health Research Unit, Gertner Institute, Tel Hashomer, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Liat
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lerner-Geva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hypoglycemia Fear Survey-II (HFS-II); fear of hypoglycemia; sexual lifestyle; type 1 diabetes; young adults