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ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Sexual Motivation in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis: A Controlled Cross-Sectional Study

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Pages 33-44 | Received 10 Jan 2023, Accepted 10 Jun 2023, Published online: 28 Jun 2023
 

Abstract

Purpose

Sexual motives are major determinants of sexual behaviour. It has been known that sexual motives may vary according to circumstances. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease causing a broad range of symptoms and disabilities, that often interfere with sexual activities. We aimed to investigate the sexual motives in persons with MS.

Patients and Methods

Cross-sectional study in 157 persons with MS and 157 controls matched for age, gender, relationship, duration of relationship and educational status via propensity score matching. The Reasons for Having Sex (YSEX) questionnaire assessed the proportion with which a person had engaged in sexual intercourse for each of 140 distinct motives to have sex. Estimated mean differences in scores for four primary factors (Physical, Goal attainment, Emotional, Insecurity) and 13 sub-factors, and sexual satisfaction and importance of sex were calculated as Average Treatment Effect of the Treated using 99% confidence intervals.

Results

Persons with MS reported a lower proportion of engaging in sex compared with the controls for the factors Physical (−0.29), Emotional (−0.23) and Insecurity (−0.10); and for the physical sub-factors Pleasure (−0.48), Experience seeking (−0.32), Stress reduction (−0.24), and Physical desirability (−0.16), the emotional sub-factors Love and commitment (−0.27) and Expression (−0.17), and the insecurity sub-factor Self-esteem boost (−0.23). In the control group seven of the top 10 sexual motives were physical versus five in the MS group. The importance of sex was lower in the MS group (−0.68).

Conclusion

Findings of this controlled cross-sectional study suggest a reduction in the number of sexual motives in persons with MS, especially of physical motives related to pleasure and experience seeking. Health care professionals may consider assessing sexual motivation when dealing with persons with MS who suffer from decreased sexual desire or another sexual dysfunction.

Ethics Statement

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium. Participants gave their informed consent via www.waaromseks.be.

Acknowledgments

The statistical analyses and in part the preparation of the manuscript were funded by the Dutch National MS Foundation, Rotterdam, Netherlands. The funding source had a role in the collection of the data. We are grateful to the study participants and the persons who contributed to the recruitment process.

Disclosure

Dr Peter Joseph Jongen reports he was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Dutch National MS Foundation at the time of the study. Miss Petra Prinssen reports a grant from the Dutch National MS Foundation, during the conduct of the study. The authors have no other conflicting interests to declare that are relevant to this article.

Additional information

Funding

The statistical analyses, the open access publication costs, and in part the preparation of the manuscript were funded by the Dutch National MS Foundation, Rotterdam, Netherlands. The funding source had a role in the collection of the data.