Type 1 diabetes—a condition, usually diagnosed in children and young people, that disables the body’s ability to produce the insulin needed to convert sugar into energy—can wreak havoc on a woman’s sex life, according to a new study. Male diabetics don’t have the same struggle.

Researchers conducted the study at Leuven University in Belgium by following women with type 1 diabetes. After 10 years, the women answered a questionnaire about their sexual function and underwent a physical examination. Researchers also evaluated the women’s mood and administered a laboratory test.

Slightly more than one third of the women were classified as having sexual dysfunction. Fifty-seven percent experienced a loss of libido; 51 percent had difficulty achieving orgasms; 47 percent experienced reduced lubrication; 38 percent noted a decrease in arousal; and 21 percent experienced pain during intercourse.

Researchers also found that diabetic-induced depression played a role in why women had trouble in the lovemaking department. “Women with type1 diabetes should also be regularly queried about the presence of depressive symptoms, sexual function and sexual satisfaction,” said Paul Enzlin, MD, the lead author.

African-American women are two to four times more likely than white women to get diabetes.

Read about Angie Stone’s battle with diabetes here.