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CC BY 4.0 · Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2025; 83(04): s00451806819
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1806819
Original Article

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

Elisa Matias Vieira de Melo 
1   Santa Casa de São Paulo, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
,
Flavia Fairbanks Lima de Oliveira Ruano 
2   University of Miami, Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Female Sexual Health Program, Coral Gables FL, United States.
,
Maria Fernanda Mendes 
1   Santa Casa de São Paulo, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
,
Guilherme Sciascia do Olival 
1   Santa Casa de São Paulo, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
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Abstract

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects mainly young people of reproductive age with significant lifelong repercussions, among which sexual dysfunction (SD) is one of the most neglected during routine clinical care.

Objective To evaluate SD in female patients diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

Methods This cross-sectional analytic study was performed at the Santa Casa de São Paulo Hospital, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, São Paulo, Brazil, between November 2020 and March 2022. The sample included 80 female patients diagnosed with RRMS and 106 healthy controls. Questionnaires probing sexual dysfunction (the Multiple Sclerosis Intimacy and Sexuality Questionnaire – MSISQ-19 and the Female Sexual Function Index – FSFI) and depression and anxiety (the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale – HADS, the Beck Depression Inventory – BDI; and the Beck Anxiety Inventory – BAI) were applied.

Results A high prevalence of SD in both groups (43.4% and 38.8% for the RRMS and control groups, respectively) was identified by the FSFI analysis. A statistically higher prevalence (56.3%) of sexual dysfunction was detected in RRMS patients when using the MSISQ-19 tool to assess sexuality in this population compared with the FSFI scale (p = 0.016).

Conclusion A high prevalence of SD was found in both MS patients and healthy controls as measured by the FSFI. However, the specific tool (MSISQ-19) revealed a higher prevalence of SD in MS patients. Thus, the use of MSISQ-19 for the diagnosis and management of SD in this patient group is recommended.

Keywords

Multiple Sclerosis - Sexual Health - Sexual Dysfunction

Authors' Contributions

Conceptualization: EMVM, FFLO, GSO; Investigation: EMVM; Data curation: EMVM; Writing-Original Draft: EMVM; Writing – Review & Editing: EMVM, FFLO, GSO, MFM.


Editor-in-Chief: Ayrton Roberto Massaro.


Associate Editor: Douglas Kazutoshi Sato.




Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 21. Juli 2024

Angenommen: 30. Dezember 2024

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
22. April 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Bibliographical Record
Elisa Matias Vieira de Melo, Flavia Fairbanks Lima de Oliveira Ruano, Maria Fernanda Mendes, Guilherme Sciascia do Olival. Assessing female sexual dysfunction in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2025; 83: s00451806819.
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1806819
 

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