Dating with Diabetes

The CGM Blog

Dating with Diabetes

Dating can be just as exhilarating as it is stressful. When you’re dating with diabetes, starting a new romantic relationship can come with some extra considerations around your health and how to communicate with your potential partner about the condition. For those living with diabetes, understanding how dating can affect diabetes management empowers you to take proactive steps to care for yourself so you can focus on having fun.

Does Diabetes Affect Relationships?

Managing diabetes is just one aspect of your life, and it doesn’t define who you are as a person. The realities of diabetes management can have an impact on your romantic relationships, but the condition won’t prevent you from developing loving, meaningful partnerships.

Depending on your level of comfort and how serious you’re planning to be with someone new, your diabetes management routines might not have a significant role in your interactions in the early stages of dating. But as the relationship progresses, you may want your potential partner to become more invested in caring for you and actively supporting diabetes management. If you move forward into a partnership, it might be a good idea for your loved one to take time to learn more about diabetes for themselves so that they can be there for you. Every couple will navigate this relationship-building process in the ways that work for them.

Keep in mind that dating can also impact diabetes management. Going on dates may change your usual routines. While this can be exciting and fun, it might also mean that you need to adjust your diabetes management habits and be mindful about how the activities you do on dates can impact your blood sugar management. With some preparation and good communication skills, you can feel confident dating with diabetes.

Telling Your Date That You Live with Diabetes

Choosing when to tell someone you’re dating that you live with diabetes is a personal choice. Getting to know a new romantic partner is a process of slowly opening up and showing another person who you really are. Diabetes is a part of your life, and it may be something that you are comfortable bringing up early with someone you might be interested in dating long-term.

However, you may choose to wait to see if the person you’re dating is someone you’d like to pursue a serious relationship with before telling them that you live with diabetes. Depending on the types of activities you do together—for example, if you’re trying out new physical activities you don’t normally do such as hiking or going for a bike ride—you may need to let them know whether you’re at risk of experiencing low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, and how to support you if you need help.

Navigating Blood Sugar Management on Dates

It’s smart to plan ahead for dates so that you can prepare for the activities you’re going to do. Whether you’re eating a meal at a restaurant, grabbing coffee or a drink at a bar, or enjoying activities like walking or going skating, it’s a good idea to think about what steps you’ll need to take to manage your blood sugar, or glucose, while you’re out on the date. For instance, you may want to select a restaurant ahead of time so that you can pick out menu items that support your glucose management.¹

Knowing whether you’ll be doing some physical activity can give you time to adjust your insulin doses and pack some extra snacks to prevent low glucose.²Heat and cold can also affect your glucose levels.³ If you’re going to be outdoors for your date, be sure to prepare for the weather with the right clothing and essentials like a water bottle, sunscreen, or hand and feet warmers. Ensure you have enough glucose management supplies with you regardless of where you’re off to. Your kit could include extra insulin, medications, a blood glucose meter (BGM) and test strips, snacks, drinks, or glucose tablets for lows, and emergency glucagon.

When you’re on a date, you want to focus on having fun and being in the moment, not checking your glucose levels. Using a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system like the Dexcom G7 CGM System can help you stay on top of your glucose discreetly when you’re spending time with someone special. With Dexcom G7, you can get your glucose readings on your smartphone, smartwatch, or handheld receiver without the need to pull out your blood glucose meter (BGM) to perform a routine fingerstick.^*† This can make checking your glucose levels a little easier and more convenient so you can enjoy your date. It can also give you insight into how romantic meals and activities impact your glucose levels in real time so you can take proactive action to manage them in the moment.

If you’re heading out for a few drinks or a night on the town, keep in mind that alcohol can affect your glucose levels and cause delayed hypoglycemia up to 24 hours after you stop drinking. Consider eating carbs when you consume alcohol and choose sugar-free drink mixes if you’re ordering cocktails. Diabetes Canada recommends that women living with diabetes consume no more than two standard drinks per day, while men should consume no more than three per day. A standard drink is equal to one regular 12 fl. oz (341 mL) can of 5% alcohol beer, 5 fl. oz (142 mL) glass of 12% alcohol wine, or 1.5 fl. oz (43 mL) of 40% alcohol liquor.⁴

Planning ahead also gives you time to chat with your date about what you’re comfortable doing. While spontaneity and surprises can be romantic, you should never feel pressure to dive into an activity that makes it hard to manage your glucose and look after yourself.

Understanding How Diabetes Can Affect Intimacy

Intimacy—and even the butterflies, excitement, and anxiety that come with new romance—can have an impact on your glucose levels.^2,5,6Similar to exercise, physical intimacy can increase insulin sensitivity and cause glucose to drop quickly, potentially leading to low blood sugar.² On the other hand, feeling a rush of nerves can cause a spike in glucose.⁶ When you’re getting close with someone, it’s not always ideal to stop and check your glucose levels to make sure you’re not going too low or too high. With Dexcom G7, you can simply sneak a glance at your smartphone or smartwatch to see where your glucose is at. Dexcom G7 also has a built-in Urgent Low alert that can let you know if your glucose drops below 3.1 mmol/L and a predictive alert that can notify you up to 20 minutes before you’re likely to experience a low under 3.1 mmol/L.^‡ These alerts can give you a little extra peace of mind around catching lows, so you can stay in the moment with your partner rather than thinking about your glucose.

A little planning around intimacy can help you feel more comfortable and confident. Depending on your diabetes management routine, it may not always make sense to stay over at your partner’s house on short notice—especially if you experience nighttime hypoglycemia. Communicating with your partner about your plans during a date gives you time to ensure you’re ready to manage your glucose.

Diabetes can also affect your sexual health. Living with diabetes puts men at greater risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction, while women living with diabetes may experience vaginal dryness that can make having sex uncomfortable.^7,8 Individuals living with diabetes may have a higher risk of experiencing urinary tract infections (UTIs) and thrush, also known as yeast infections.^6,7 High glucose levels can also cause low libido, or sex drive.⁹

Experiencing diabetes complications that impact your sex life can be very emotional and may lead to difficult feelings like shame. It’s important to remember that managing diabetes is complex and that experiencing complications is not your fault. Be open with your partner about what you’re going through, and have compassion for yourself. If you’re experiencing issues with your sexual health, speak with your doctor about managing and treating them.

Feeling Confident While Dating with Diabetes

Dating can bring up a whole range of complex emotions, even if you don’t live with diabetes. If you’re feeling insecure about putting yourself out there, know that many people have navigated dating with diabetes successfully and have found partners who care for and support them no matter what. Remember that even though managing diabetes can be challenging, it also highlights some of your best traits like strength, resilience, bravery, compassion, and humour.

Connecting with the diabetes community can help you feel a sense of belonging and give you the chance to hear other’s experiences and how they approach dating with diabetes. Your local diabetes support group is a great place to talk about your experience living with diabetes and get guidance from both professionals and those going through something similar. Organizations like Connected in Motion for adults and I Challenge Diabetes for teens provide opportunities to meet some new friends—or even a potential partner—living with diabetes who can offer support and advice. Organizations like Breakthrough T1D and Diabetes Canada frequently have events and volunteer opportunities where you can get involved with the diabetes community. You can also follow the Dexcom Warrior community on social media to see how others are managing diabetes with confidence.

Explore how Dexcom Warriors manage diabetes with confidence

* Smart devices sold separately. For a list of compatible devices, please visit dexcom.com/compatibility.
† Fingersticks required for diabetes treatment decisions if symptoms or expectations do not match readings.
‡ Provides a warning up to 20 minutes in advance of severe hypoglycemia (glucose levels at or below 3.1 mmol/L).

1 Alkon C. Dating with Diabetes. The diaTribe Foundation. January 12, 2022. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://diatribe.org/lifestyle/dating-diabetes
2 Blood Glucose and Exercise. American Diabetes Association. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/fitness/blood-glucose-and-exercise
3 Pallubinsky H, et al. Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2020;229(4):e13488
4 Alcohol and diabetes. Diabetes Canada. April 2018. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.diabetes.ca/diabetescanadawebsite/media/managing-my-diabetes/tools
5 Sex and diabetes. Diabetes UK. Reviewed February 7, 2024. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/living-with-diabetes/life-with-diabetes/sex-and-diabetes
6 Sharma K, et. al. Cureus. 2022;14(9):e29142
7 Diabetes and sexual problems — in men. Diabetes UK. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-diabetes/complications/sexual-problems-men
8 Diabetes and sexual problems — in women. Diabetes UK. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-diabetes/complications/sexual-problems-women
9 Sex and Diabetes. American Diabetes Association. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/sexual-health/sex-diabetes