Assessing female sexual dysfunction in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Sexual Medicine
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) significantly impacts young adults, with sexual dysfunction (SD) often overlooked in clinical practice.
• SD presents lifelong challenges for individuals with MS, affecting their quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of sexual dysfunction in female patients diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
• To compare SD in RRMS patients with healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 80 female RRMS patients and 106 healthy controls.
• Utilized validated questionnaires: MSISQ-19 and FSFI for SD, and HADS, BDI, BAI for depression and anxiety.

Main Results:

• The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) indicated high SD prevalence in both RRMS (43.4%) and control (38.8%) groups.
• The Multiple Sclerosis Intimacy and Sexuality Questionnaire-19 (MSISQ-19) revealed a statistically significant higher prevalence of SD (56.3%) in RRMS patients compared to FSFI results (p=0.016).

Conclusions:

• While FSFI showed similar SD rates in MS patients and controls, MSISQ-19 highlighted a greater prevalence of SD specifically in the RRMS population.
• The MSISQ-19 is recommended for diagnosing and managing sexual dysfunction in female MS patients due to its sensitivity in this group.