The first signs of diabetes in teenage girls may be a yeast infection. Young women naturally have yeast in their system. High blood sugar levels, however, make a perfect environment for the overgrowth of yeast. So, the first sign of diabetes, for young girls in particular, is often yeast infection. This is especially true in cases of type-2 diabetes, when frequent infection and a lower immune system are far more common.

Yeast infections are not the only signs of diabetes in teenage girls. Symptoms of diabetes for young girls may also include increased thirst, increased urination, and increased hunger. Despite this increase in appetite, weight loss often occurs because the cells of the body are starved for energy. In fact, rapid weight loss is often one of the major indicating signs of diabetes in teenage girls.

Emotional Challenges

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Diabetes in girls presents special risk factors as women are at particular risk of certain complications. Since the 1990s there has been a 10-fold increase in the number of cases of type 2 diabetes in adolescents, possibly due to increased rates of obesity. In 2003 the International Diabetes Federation Consensus declared an “epidemic” of obesity, lack of exercise, and insulin resistance syndrome (IRS). The prevalence of obesity among adolescents in 1999-2000 was 15.3% ages 6-11 and 15.5% ages 12-19. Of particular concern is the relationship between childhood obesity and the onset of insulin resistance in adulthood. There are about 61,500 girls under 20 in the U.S. with type 1 diabetes with most diabetic teenage girls (10-19 years old) suffering from type 1. By the age of 20, 40-60% of people with diabetes will have retinopathy, with girls at the highest risk of the most severe form.

Symptoms of Diabetes