The link you can ignore

Dr. Jamin Brahmbhat is a urologist and robotic surgeon with Orlando Health and an assistant at the University of Florida Central Medical College.

When most of us think about sugar, I bet we don’t think about our sex life. We think of dessert. I write this with the help of a bowl of vanilla ice cream next to me.

Sugar makes us feel good right now, but over time, too much of this can make us lose some of the most intimate moments in life.

In 2025, everyone bursts for GLP-1 injections to help control sugar and weight loss. This new class of medicines has helped many make significant health profits – including improved blood sugar, weight loss – and even improvements in people’s sex life (because they can also fall asleep).

My goal here is not to give up the use of GLP-1 drugs or to suppose people take them unnecessarily (although some people may be). My intention is to cause a wider conversation: What if we also pay more attention to the root cause: our love for sugar and its effects down the chain on mood, metabolism, sex and more?

Is your blood sugar normal?

Most people associate blood sugar to diabetes, but few know what is “normal”.

Blood sugar levels can be checked in real time with a simple finger stick, with a homemade glucose monitor or by wearable devices, such as continuous glucose monitors (those devices with the size of coins that you can see on the upper hands of people) that provide feedback on glucose levels throughout the day.

What do we see when this test is done? This is followed by the American Association of the American Diabetes Association for blood glucose levels, but they are not intended to be diagnosed with diabetes. In many cases, your supplier can double or even triple checking these numbers before marking you with “diabetes”.

All numbers must be evaluated by your healthcare provider.

Fasting blood sugar (no food for at least eight hours before):

• Normal: Under 100 mg/DL (milligrams per deciliter)

• Prediabetes: 100 to 125 mg/dl

• Diabetes: 126 mg/dl or higher

Random blood sugar (taken at any time of the day):

• Diabetes is often diagnosed if levels are 200 mg/dl or higher for symptoms.

The glucose test from the care point gives a momentary photo, but there is a laboratory that tells the full story-hemoglobin A1c.

What is hemoglobin A1c and why does it matter?

This blood test measures the percentage of proteins of hemoglobins in your blood, which have glucose attached to it – giving you and your healthcare suppliers a picture of your average blood sugar in the last two to three months. This makes it a reliable indicator of how well your body controls glucose over time.

Here’s how the American Diabetes Association breaks it out:

• Prediabetes: 5.7% to 6.4%

In my work as a surgeon, the A1C check before any procedure – especially those involving implants – is a standard practice. Increased levels of A1c are highly associated with poor recovery, risk to infection and surgical complications. So, whether it is a basic urological procedure or something else, keeping your glucose under control more than most people realize.

What does strong blood sugar do for your sex life

Sexual health is rarely the first thing people associate with blood sugar, but chronically high glucose levels can affect intimacy – for everyone.

In men, high blood sugar can damage the nerves and blood vessels, which are essential for the achievement and maintenance of erection. Over time, this can be presented as erectile dysfunction before the man is once diagnosed or believes to be at risk of diabetes. High blood sugar can also reduce testosterone levels, which then reduce libido and energy.

Many of my patients who do not receive routine screenings from their primary assistance providers come to see me because of changes in sexual indicators – just to find later that their blood sugar is out of control. For these patients, their first clue that something is wrong is not thirsty, changes in weight or fatigue (more common early signs of diabetes) – it was problems in the bedroom.

In women, high blood sugar can lead to decreased blood flow and hormonal imbalances, which can cause vaginal dryness, painful sex or orgasm problems. It can also increase the risk of recurrent urinary tract infections, which can make intimacy painful or less attractive. Many women can feel disappointed and confused whether these changes are expected of aging, after menopause, stress or something else. A bad sugar level is usually the last thing in their mind.

How to treat high blood sugar

Diabetes is incredibly common – about 38 million Americans have it – and nearly 1 in 4 don’t even know it, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Traditionally, treatment with diabetes begins with oral drugs such as metformin, which helps to reduce glucose by reducing the production of sugar in the liver. Other classes of pills work in different ways, or by increasing the release of insulin or helping the kidneys to discard excess sugar. These drugs are usually prescribed for people in the earlier stages of diabetes or with a slightly elevated A1C.

Injection drugs may be needed when oral pills are not enough to treat the disease. For years, this often meant daily insulin injections, which many patients found to be stressful but necessary. Insulin should be carefully determined with eating and dosage can be complicated. There is also a real fear of episodes of low blood sugar, which can make some people hesitate to start or stick to therapy.

Over the last few years, agonist drugs GLP-1 receptors have become part of the treatment regimens of many people. This class of drugs is known for names such as semaglutide, liraglutide and thyrcepatide. These injections mimic a natural hormone in your body, which helps to regulate blood sugar, slows digestion and makes you feel faster.

Although they were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, they have won attention globally to help people lose weight. In fact, many patients now ask and receive these drugs before another option – not only for blood sugar management, but also weight loss.

Better sugar control can improve testosterone

These drugs can also help to normalize testosterone levels in men with obese or type 2 diabetes, according to preliminary studies presented at the Endocrine Endocrine Annual Meeting this week.

Researchers followed 110 men who were prescribed GLP-1 injections but did not take testosterone therapy. For 18 months, as participants lost about 10% of their body weight, the number of men with normal testosterone levels increased from 53% to 77%. This rise emphasizes how medicines originally designed for diabetes and weight loss can also improve hormone levels in men.

Although this summary has not yet been reviewed and more studies are needed, these discoveries add to an increasing number of evidence that weight management and blood sugar can have pulsation effects in almost every aspect of health-influential testosterone, energy and sexual function.

Try this more difficult alternative first

Before you contact medication immediately, do not underestimate what consistent lifestyles can do, not only for your blood sugar, but throughout your life.

Regular exercise improves insulin sensitivity, supports weight loss, increases energy and even enhances sexual function by improving blood flow and hormonal balance. A balanced diet – the one that is rich in whole foods, fiber and slender proteins – can stabilize blood sugar and reduce the inflammation that contributes to a chronic disease. Better sleep, reduced alcohol and stress management also play a role.

So, if you are discussing between an injection or a new routine, maybe this time you reach the fitness bag before trying something else. You can just find it more than your laboratories. This can change the way you feel about yourself.

As for me, the next time I help this spoon of ice cream while writing, I will remember that it is not just about my waistline – this is about my energy, my heart and my sexual health. And now that I have finished this article, I will take my fitness bag and go to the walk (to the gym) that I am talking about here.

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