Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group

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Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers
Sexual Dysfunction Prevalent in Multiple Sclerosis


June 3, 2007 (Washington, DC) — The first US epidemiologic study of sexual dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) shows that the majority of MS patients suffer from at least 1 symptom of sexual dysfunction.

Speaking at the 21st annual meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) in Washington, DC, Frederick Foley, PhD, director of psychological services at the Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center at Holy Name Hospital, in Teaneck, New Jersey, and 2002 president of the CMSC, reported that a high incidence of sexual dysfunction had recently been found in the world's largest study of this problem.

"Until 10 or 20 years ago, sexual dysfunction in MS was swept under the carpet, much as cognitive symptoms were," Dr. Foley told Medscape. Studies on sexual dysfunction had been done in Europe and Australia, he said, "but this is really the first epidemiologic study done in North America on this topic. The study shows that the majority of MS patients do suffer from significant sexual dysfunction. That kind of finding warrants assessing for it."

Recognition Critical

Dr. Foley's group used the Multiple Sclerosis Intimacy and Sexuality Questionnaire (MSISQ) to survey patients in the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) registry. Of 8361 respondents, the 5868 who completed the survey were slightly younger (50.4 vs. 56.7 years), had less neural impairment (P < .001) and higher incomes (P < .001), and were more likely to be employed (P < .01) and more likely to be male than the registry roster as a whole, where the gender breakdown is 75.4% female, 24.6% male. Dr. Foley observed in his presentation that any bias conferred by this selective response would tend toward underestimation of sexual dysfunction.

The survey asked about primary, secondary, and tertiary sexual dysfunction: primary stemming directly from MS symptoms; secondary dysfunction indirectly connected to MS or MS treatments; and tertiary dysfunction resulting from cultural or psychosocial factors. Only responses of "always" and "almost always" during the past 6 months were counted as clinically significant sexual dysfunction.

In total, 67.2% of the respondents reported at least 1 symptom at the "always" or "almost-always" level. The researchers, focusing on 5 items assessing each level of dysfunction, found the survey's validity was supported by .82 < ∝
Posted on 06/12/07, 04:06 pm