#1779 Diabetes Variable: Finishing (for men)

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1779 – Diabetes Variable: Finishing (for men)
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Jenny (frequent expert guest)
Release Date: February 21, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of the Juicebox Podcast dives into a sensitive and often overlooked topic: the challenges men with type 1 diabetes (T1D) may face around "finishing," or reaching orgasm/ejaculation, during sexual activity. Host Scott Benner and diabetes expert Jenny break down the biological, psychological, and lifestyle factors that can impact sexual performance and satisfaction for people with T1D. The conversation, marked by frankness and humor, also extends to female experiences and provides practical insights for listeners.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Why Talk About “Finishing” for Men with T1D?

• Scott introduces the topic, referencing past “variable” episodes focusing on intimate or taboo aspects of T1D life, including masturbation ([02:12]).
• Jenny reacts with good humor, acknowledging the rarity of such open conversations.

2. Underlying Causes: Medical and Biological Factors

• Control and Management: Scott raises whether difficulties with “finishing” are mainly about glucose control and insulin management ([02:23]).

• Erectile Dysfunction as a Related Issue:

  "As a baseline, I think it also goes along with erectile dysfunction." – Jenny ([02:49])

• Vascular and Nerve Issues:

  • Microvascular Damage: Diabetes can narrow or stiffen small arteries supplying the penis, causing weaker erections or difficulty reaching climax ([04:47]).
  • Neuropathy: Damaged nerves dull sensations or interfere with the signals needed for orgasm/ejaculation.

  "Nerve signals which dull sensations or messes with the nerve pathways that trigger orgasm or ejaculation..." – Scott ([04:47])

  • Autonomic Nerve Impact: Changes can cause delayed or retrograde ejaculation (semen goes into the bladder).

• Timeline:

  • These issues generally result from long-term management problems, not from newly diagnosed diabetes.

  "I don't think you'd be diagnosed today and next week this would be your issues." – Scott ([05:17])

3. Acute Factors: Blood Sugar in the Moment

• Blood sugar fluctuations during sex can have direct effects:
  • Dropping Blood Sugar: Body prioritizes basic survival over sexual response, sometimes inhibiting climax, especially if hypoglycemic ([03:54], [04:15]).

  "If blood sugar is dropping...body's responses are for preservation of overall health, not...let's just finish." – Jenny ([03:54])

  • Rapid Rise/Adrenaline: Less clear-cut impact, but adrenaline spikes could potentially interfere ([04:15]).

4. Psychological and Medication Influences

• Mental/Emotional Factors:
  • Anxiety about performance or low blood sugar can affect arousal ([06:04]).
  • Frustration with diabetes or body image can contribute to a cycle of stress and difficulty.

  "Anxiety about performance or having a low blood sugar during sex can like change your arousal..." – Scott ([06:04])

  • These factors are common, not always diabetes-specific.
• Low Testosterone: More common in men with diabetes, impacting libido and intensity ([06:26]).
• Medications: SSRIs can delay orgasm; certain drugs may compound sexual side effects.

5. Diabetes Devices and Practical Concerns

• Diabetes tech (pumps, sensors) can disrupt intimacy—needing snacks during sex, devices being knocked off, etc. ([06:42])

  "...having your device knocked around or hit or, you know, during whatever it is you're doing over there." – Scott ([06:42])

6. Female Parallels

• Most factors apply to women too:
  • Nerve and Vascular Changes: Reduced sensitivity, difficulty reaching orgasm.
  • Hormonal Fluctuations: Changes in estrogen and progesterone can alter insulin sensitivity and sexual function ([07:54]).
  • Low Estrogen (Perimenopause/Menopause): Causes dryness, pain, low libido.
  • Infections: High blood sugars can increase risk of yeast infections, UTIs, making sex uncomfortable ([08:42]).

7. Blood Sugar Management and Sex

• Physical activity can drop blood sugar; sex is compared humorously to jumping on a trampoline ([09:09]):

  "What makes your blood sugar drop faster, jumping on a trampoline or having sex?" – Scott ([09:09]) "I would expect jumping on the trampoline." – Jenny ([09:13])

• Birth control and hormonal therapies can alter glucose patterns and thus sexual experience ([09:26]).

8. Relationships and Hormonal Birth Control

• Anecdote about women losing attraction to partners after stopping the pill—suggesting subtle biochemical contributions to attraction ([09:58]):

  "There's been...studies...women who are on birth control while they're courting and then later go off it and find they're not attracted to the men that they married." – Scott ([09:58]) "That's actually been out for probably at least two years. I read that quite a while ago as well." – Jenny ([10:04])

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• On the awkwardness/fun of the topic:

  "Jenny, people want to talk about finishing for men with type 1 diabetes." – Scott ([01:58])
  "You know me so well." – Jenny ([01:58])

• On the variety of causes:

  "Could be nerve damage, could be vessel damage...could actually create a problem with release." – Jenny ([03:26])

• On real-life sexual disruptions:

  "Having to stop to take off your device or having your device knocked around...kind of take you out of the moment." – Scott ([06:42])

• Humor highlight:

  "So don't have sex on the trampoline." – Jenny ([09:17])

• On shared experiences between men and women:

  "It's the same. Pretty much the same concept." – Jenny ([07:54])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:58] – Introduction of the “finishing” variable and initial reactions.
• [02:49] – Erectile dysfunction and physiological foundations.
• [03:54] – Blood sugar dropping and impact during sex.
• [04:47] – Scott details vascular/nerve issues.
• [06:04] – Mental health and the stress/anxiety loop.
• [06:42] – Practical disruptions: snacks/devices during sex.
• [07:54] – Parallel issues for women with T1D.
• [08:42] – Blood sugars, infections, and sexual discomfort for women.
• [09:09] – Activity comparison: sex vs trampoline for blood sugar.
• [09:26] – Effects of hormonal medications.
• [09:58] – Hormonal birth control and attraction anecdote.

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Tone and Style

The conversation is lively, candid, and practical, with Scott and Jenny combining evidence-based information with lighthearted banter. Both speakers are mindful of audience comfort, using humor and plain language to address a sensitive topic.

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Takeaway

This episode goes beyond clinical explanations, providing a thoughtful, relatable look at how diabetes intersects with sexuality for both men and women. Practical advice is woven with honest talk, helping listeners understand they’re not alone—and that many factors, from blood sugars and devices to mental wellbeing and hormones, can play a role in the bedroom.

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Transcript

[A]

Hello, friends, and welcome back to another episode of the Juice Box Podcast. Managing diabetes is difficult, but trying to do it when you don't understand the lingo, that's almost impossible. The Defining Diabetes series began in 2019, and today we're adding to it. Go to juiceboxpodcast.com up in the menu, click on Defining Diabetes and you'll see a complete list of all the terms that we've defined so far. Hey, do you need support? I have some stuff for you. It's all free. Juiceboxpodcast.com Click on support in the menu. Let's see what you get there. A1C and blood glucose calculator. People love that. That's actually, I think, the most popular page on the website some months. A list of great endocrinologists from listeners. That's from all over the country. There's a link to the private Facebook group, to the Circle community. And we have a fantastic thing there, American Sign Language. There's a great sign language interpreter who did the entire Bold Beginning series in asl. So if you know anybody who would benefit from that, please send them that way. Just go to juiceboxpodcast.com and click on Support. While you're there, check out the guides, like the Pre Bolusing Guide, Fat and Protein, Insulin calculator. Oh, gosh. Thyroid, glp, Caregiver Burnout. You should go to the website. Click around a little bit on those menus. It really. There's a lot more there than you think. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan. All right, guys, I'm gonna do a diabetes variable with Jenny that I did not explain to her what it was beforehand. So this was sent in by listeners, but I think it's gonna make her giggle or laugh. So everybody get ready. Jenny, people want to talk about finishing for men with type 1 diabetes.

[B]

You know me so well.

[A]

I knew what this was going to do to you.

[B]

Okay, I think this is funny. I think we've only ever had one conversation similar to this, and it was in. Was it in a. I think it was in a variable.

[A]

Was it a variable? We did masturbating. Yeah, we did.

[B]

Yes, exactly. So that's kind of funny.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Well, is this a very. Could be a variable, just like it could for a female. I mean.

[A]

Well, it's possible that they just didn't know where this fit exactly. And maybe they figured it fit because of the masturbation episode of the Variable series. I Don't know. So I guess the variable really is control. I mean, insulin use. Right. And your, and your management, your outcomes. Or am I wrong? Like, why do guys with type 1, why can they have trouble? I'm just going to keep going with finishing. Finishing.

[B]

Finishing, yeah, sure. As a baseline, I think it also goes along with erectile dysfunction.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Right. If I'm thinking of quote unquote, finishing in the right way.

[A]

Do you need me to define it for you, Jenny?

[B]

No, you don't. Thank you so much. People are like, oh my God, this is.

[A]

I'll do it visually for you. I won't say a word. It's the part, it's the part where you go, okay, okay, we're talking about the same thing.

[B]

Totally get it. But I think it might have some of the same, which is why I connected to potentially erectile dysfunction.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Because if there is, as you said, management issues in general, not just in that time, but in general, there could be a reason that finishing doesn't actually happen in the timeline. Right. There could be nerve damage, there could be vessel damage that doesn't create a problem with actual like erection, but it could actually create a problem with release.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Now that being the big consideration in the moment. Absolutely. I mean, it could be that blood sugar is dropping and body's responses are for preservation of overall health, not preservation of like, gosh, we got to get the job done. Let's just finish. Right?

[A]

She looks bored. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

So I mean, it certainly could be relative to whether blood sugar in the moment is dropping. I can't imagine that it would be relative to a rapid rise, although maybe, you know, in terms of a rise could probably be similar to an adrenaline spike.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

In terms of that finishing, it's interesting

[A]

to hear you talk through it without having any, any forewarned knowledge that we were going to talk about it because I think you're doing a good job.

[B]

Oh, great.

[A]

I, of course I cheated and so I have it broken out as blood flow. There are tiny arteries that bring blood into the penis that can narrow or stiffen, called microvascular damage. So less blood in would be a weaker or shorter or lasting erection or harder to complete. Diabetes can cause neuropathy. So nerve signals which dull sensations or messes with the nerve pathways that trigger orgasm or ejaculation, which again, both of

[B]

those are like more long term repercussions of an issue.

[A]

I don't think you'd be diagnosed today and next week. This would be your issues. Right, Right. There's some, some quotes Here that men can, in this situation, can say that they can get there. This is a quote. But it can take forever.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And then autonomic nerves. These are nerves that handle automatic body functions like ejaculation. If they're affected, you could end up with delayed ejaculation or retrograde ejaculation. When semen goes backwards into the bladder. There's a thing I didn't need to know today.

[B]

You didn't? Yeah. That actually is something I've. I mean, it all goes along with. When you're discussing with somebody what's going on. All of these things kind of get.

[A]

Cause it goes back. Is this where the phrase coming and going comes from? They catch me coming and going? No, I don't think so.

[B]

Oh, I don't think so. That's funny that you would put that together so quick.

[A]

It's just wordplay, Johnny. So it also says mentally. You brought this up. That's why I thought it's interesting. Anxiety about performance or having a low blood sugar during sex can like change your arousal and maybe then have trouble before you get into there. Feeling frustrated with diabetes or body image issues can feed that loop, which.

[B]

Those wouldn't really be diabetes specific.

[A]

No, but they're, you know, I mean, how about this one? Low testosterone, which is common with men with. More common with men with diabetes, can impact your libido and your intensity. Huh. Okay. Medications too. Just some add ons here. If you're on an ssri, that could do it. And high or low blood sugar during sex could totally kill arousal, stamina. I hear women had a lot of these conversations with people. Men and women all talk about like the having to have snacks at the bedside and how kind of. I mean, it kind of take you out of the moment kind of thing. You know what I mean? Or having to stop to take off your device or having your device knocked around or hit or, you know, during whatever it is you're doing over there. Is that it? Did we cover all the reasons why you might not be able to finish as a male with type 1 diabetes?

[B]

I do believe so, yes.

[A]

Would any of this impact a woman?

[B]

Yes. I mean, many of the things that you brought up are more internal with a woman. Right. So things like damage to nerves from a sensation standpoint, both internal and external for a woman, and then, you know, hormonal changes that could be impacted by blood sugar. Again, the broader picture, just like erectile dysfunction, the broader picture for a woman, hormonal fluctuations up and down could certainly create a problem with. I Guess finishing a woman, too. It's the same. Pretty much the same concept.

[A]

Yeah. Here it is. Less blood reaching the clitoris and vaginal tissues, reduced sensitivity or difficulty reaching orgasm. Nerve changes can delay or weaken sensation. Also general dryness or less natural lubrication. Since nerve signals and blood flow both play a part in arousal. Women with type 1 often have hormonal fluctuations that interact with blood sugars. Estrogen, progesterone shifts can alter insulin sensitivity. Oh, that's an interesting thing. And then low estrogen, especially in perimenopausal menopausal women, can lead to dryness, pain or lower libido. Thyroid issues, which can be more common with people with diabetes, can add fatigue or low desire. And then it says high blood sugars can fuel yeast infections, UTIs, or general irritation that can make sex uncomfortable or painful.

[B]

So again, all around similar. And as far as like the actual moment, what your blood sugar is doing, again, more on the drop or the low zone. Not so much a climb or a rise being problematic in that moment, but it's much more, you know, gosh, if you guys have been having fun for a bit of time, you could absolutely have a drop enough in blood sugar that at the very end it makes it very difficult.

[A]

What makes your blood sugar drop faster, jumping on a trampoline or having sex?

[B]

I would expect jumping on the trampoline.

[A]

That damn trampoline is amazing, isn't it?

[B]

So don't have sex on the trampoline.

[A]

Well, yeah, you made a point there. I didn't, I didn't think about that. Be cold, wouldn't it?

[B]

Well, it depends on what time of the year and where you live.

[A]

You know, then it would be hot. Yeah, you're making a good point. There you go. I just want to point out here it says birth control or hormonal therapy can alter glucose patterns, making things feel a little off cycle or inconsistent. And I will bring up if you don't believe your birth control can have impacts like that. There's been this. I think it's a study, but it's at very least colloquially understood that there are women who are on birth control while they're courting and then later go off it and find they're not attracted to the men that they married. Because. Am I right about this?

[B]

I have. That's actually been out for probably at least two years. I, I read that quite a while ago as well.

[A]

Yeah. So when you're on, I guess the idea is the pill makes your body feel like you're pregnant, which Makes you want to nest, which makes you look for a certain kind of guy. And then once that guy is living in your house all day long, you're like, oh, that is not the kind of guy I would have picked if I didn't think I was having a baby with him and that. Interesting. Yeah, you're all individuals and you're doing whatever you want or, you know, we're all being controlled by like little chemicals in our body and we don't have any actual thoughts of our. You decide the difference. Jenny and I have to go. It's Friday. Awesome. See you.

[B]

Thanks.

[A]

Okay, well, here we are. At the end of the episode. You're still with me. Thank you. I really do appreciate that. What else could you do for me? Why don't you tell a friend about the show or leave a five star review? Maybe you could make sure you're following or subscribed in your podcast app. Go to YouTube and follow me. Or Instagram TikTok. Oh gosh, here's one. Make sure you're following the podcast in the private Facebook group as well as the public Facebook page. You don't want to miss, please you not know about the private group. You have to join the private group. As of this recording, it has 74,000 members. They're active, talking about diabetes, whatever you need to know. There's a conversation happening in there right now and I'm there all the time. Tag me. I'll say hi. Hey, I'm dropping in to tell you about a small change being made to the Juice Cruise 2026 schedule. This adjustment was made by Celebrity Cruise Lines, not by me. But anyway, we're still going out on the Celebrity beyond cruise ship, which is awesome. Check out the walkthrough video@juicebox podcast.com Juice Cruise. The ship is awesome. Still a seven night cruise. It still leaves out of Miami on June 21st. Actually, most of this is the same. We leave Miami June 21, head to CocoCay in the Bahamas, but then we're going to San Juan, Puerto rico instead of St. Thomas after that. Basteria. I think I'm saying that wrong. St. Kitts and Nevis. This place is gorgeous. Google it. I mean, you're probably gonna have to go to my link to get the correct spelling because my pronunciation is so bad. But once you get the St. Kitts and you Google it, you're going to look and see a photo that says to you, oh, I want to go there. Come meet other people living with type 1 diabetes, from caregivers to children to adults. Last year we had 100 people on our cruise and it was fabulous. You can see pictures again at my link juicebox podcast.com juicecruise. You can see those pictures from last year there. The link also gives you an opportunity to register for the cruise or to contact Suzanne from Cruise Planners. She takes care of all the logistics. I'm just excited that I might see you there. It's a beautiful event for families, for singles. A wonderful opportunity to meet people, swap stories, make friendships and and learn. Have a podcast. Want it to sound fantastic? Wrongwayrecording. Com.