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The neuroimaging literature indicates that brain structure and function both deteriorate with diabetes, but information on sexual dimorphism in diabetes-related brain alterations is limited. This study aimed to ascertain whether brain metabolism is influenced by sex in an animal model of diabetes. Eleven rats (male, <i>n</i> = 5; female, <i>n</i> = 6) received a single intraperitoneal injection of 70 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) to develop diabetes. Another 11 rats (male, <i>n</i> = 5; female, <i>n</i> = 6) received the same amount of solvent through a single intraperitoneal injection. Longitudinal positron emission tomography scans were used to assess cerebral glucose metabolism before and 4 weeks after STZ or solvent administration. Before STZ or solvent injections, there was no evidence of sexual dimorphism in cerebral metabolism (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Compared with healthy control animals, rats with diabetes had significantly decreased brain metabolism in all brain regions (all <i>p</i> < 0.05). In addition, female diabetic rats exhibited further reduction in cerebral metabolism, relative to male diabetic rats (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The results of this study may provide some biological evidence, supporting the existence of a sexual dimorphism in diabetes-related complications.