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Keep in mind that men with
type 1 diabetes who have neurological complications can have problems with erections and ejaculation. It is
still unclear whether diabetes affects sperm motility and semen volume in men with diabetes.
PRECONCEPTION ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL
If you are a woman with
diabetes, you should plan your pregnancies and attend a high-risk obstetric practice to get preconception
counseling to learn about the following:
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The risk of your child developing
diabetes.
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The blood glucose targets you should
aim for before conception and during pregnancy
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The impact of complications of
diabetes (retinopathy, kidney disease, heart disease, and neuropathy) on the
pregnancy.
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Nutrition during
pregnancy.
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Monitoring of the developing
fetus.
The Risk of Your Child
Developing Diabetes
Prospective parents may be
fearful of transmitting diabetes to their children. The risk of transmitting type 1 diabetes is quite low (6
percent if the father has type 1 diabetes and 3 percent if the mother has type 1 diabetes). The risk of
transmitting the genetic risk is higher in type 2 diabetes: if the mother has type 2 diabetes, the risk is about
18 percent, increasing to 50 percent if both parents have type 2 diabetes. The environment, however, plays a
bigger role in the development of type 2 diabetes, regardless of the genetic risk.
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