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Related Experiment Videos

Is multiple sclerosis a sexually transmitted infection?

C H Hawkes1

  • 1Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1, UK. chrishawkes@msn.com

Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
|September 18, 2002
PubMed
Summary

This study proposes multiple sclerosis (MS) may be sexually transmitted, supported by epidemiological patterns and disease similarities. Inherited susceptibility to a neurotropic agent transmitted sexually is hypothesized.

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Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Epidemiology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disorder with an unknown etiology.
  • Existing research has explored genetic and environmental factors, but a definitive cause remains elusive.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose and provide evidence for a hypothesis that multiple sclerosis may be primarily transmitted through sexual contact.
  • To explore the potential role of a sexually transmitted neurotropic agent in MS pathogenesis, in conjunction with inherited susceptibility.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of existing epidemiological data, including migration studies, disease clustering, and prevalence patterns.
  • Comparison of MS characteristics with known sexually transmitted infections, such as tropical spastic paraplegia.
  • Analysis of demographic trends, including age of onset, sex prevalence shifts, and societal factors related to sexual behavior.

Main Results:

  • Migration studies suggest a transmissible agent acquired in adolescence.
  • Disease clusters in low-prevalence areas correlate with the influx of young males.
  • Similarities to tropical spastic paraplegia and patterns in drug misusers, oral contraceptive users, and societies with varying sexual mores support the hypothesis.
  • Longitudinal shifts in sex prevalence align with societal changes in sexual behavior.

Conclusions:

  • The hypothesis of sexual transmission as a primary route for multiple sclerosis is supported by multiple lines of epidemiological evidence.
  • Inherited factors likely confer susceptibility to a sexually transmitted neurotropic agent.
  • This hypothesis warrants further investigation to redirect neurological research efforts.

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