Female sexuality hit by MS

Epub: Gumus et al. Effects of Multiple Sclerosis on Female Sexuality: A Controlled Study. J Sex Med. 2013 Dec.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) on female sexuality.


METHODS: Present study included 142 females (70 MS patients, 72 healthy controls). MS patients were evaluated by Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) for functional status, by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for severity of depression, by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for severity of pain, and by Female Sexual Function Inventory (FSFI) for sexual function.


RESULTS: The number of weekly sexual intercourse, total FSFI, and FSFI subscale scores were lower in MS women compared with controls. FSFI total and FSFI subscale scores were statistically significantly lower in MS women with BDI score ≥17 compared with those with BDI score <17. A negative correlation was found between total FSFI score and BDI, EDSS, VAS, age, and duration of complaint, but a positive correlation was found with education level in MS women.


CONCLUSIONS: Sexual functions are negatively affected in MS women. Sexual functions in MS women seem to be associated with enhanced disability, pain, duration of the disease, and degree of concomitant depression. Therefore, women with MS should also be evaluated in terms of sexual function during routine follow-ups.




I have been chastised as some insensitive brute when making these posts, so I will keep my mouth shut and leave it for you to read...

The Female Sexual Function inventory interrogates 19 items that assess 6 domains of sexual functioning: sexual desire, sexual arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Scoring: Each item is rated on a scale ranging from 0 to 5 or 1 to 5. A score of 0 indicates that the respondent reported having no sexual activity in the past month. Individual domain scores can be obtained by adding the scores of the individual items that comprise the domain and multiplying the sum by the domain factor (i.e., 0.6 for desire, 0.3 for arousal and lubrication, and 0.4 for the other three domains). A full scale score can be obtained by adding the scores for the six domains. Click here to read about it.

As ever...it you have problems in this area speak to your Neuro or Nurse. 

If you are woman with MS we would like you to complete index to see how common sexual dysfunction is amongst our female readers.


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